The Story of Hyrule
by Blasta6000
Summary: A History of the Kingdom of Hyrule, stretching from it's founding in the Era of the Sky to it's eventual destruction by flood, war or calamity. Based on the Hyrule Historia Timeline.
1. Introduction and the Era of Creation

**The Story of Hyrule**  
 **'A History of the Hylian Race at home and abroad'  
By Bryne, Scholar of the Wind Tribe**

 **Introduction**

You may have heard these stories before.

Many of these tales have been passed down through generations; through word of mouth, though song, through painting, through scraps of parchment from some ancient book. Tales from historians, bards, parents and writers combine to tell us this epic history of a land doomed to witness both great heroism and great horror.

These stories stretch from the Era of Creation and the time of the Golden Goddesses, through to the rise of the foul Ganon and the splitting of the timelines and finally through to whatever fate awaits this Great Kingdom; whether Decline, Calamity or Flood.

This is also the chronicle of the Hylian People and the other races of the world; the Gorons, the Zoras, the Rito, the Sheikah, the Gerudo, the Minish and the many others

This is the legend of the Chosen Hero, of the Blood of the Goddess and of the Demon King's Hatred. These are the chronicles of the Triforce, the Master Sword and the Four Sword.

This is the Legend of Link, Zelda and Ganondorf.

This is the Story of Hyrule.

 **The Era of Creation**

 _The Legend unfolds..._

 _"According to the Hylian scrolls, the mythical gods descended from a distant nebula to the world and created order and life."  
\- _from 'A History of the War of Light and Dark' by Sahasrahla the First.

 _Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule... Din, the Goddess of Power... Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom... Farore, the Goddess of Courage... Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would uphold the law._ "  
\- The Great Deku Tree (of the Era of the Hero of Time).

" _Aeons ago, the Deities of Power, Courage, and Wisdom descended to the world of chaos. They created the world that we know and left behind a symbol of their strength, the golden emblem known as the Triforce, which they hid in the Golden Land._ "  
\- Librari the Minish, in his memoirs.

Once there was a realm of unending chaos. A realm ruled not by the laws of gods, or even by the laws of nature. This realm was simply primordial darkness, home to powerful thaumaturgic storms and endless cosmic rain.

Nothing lived in this realm, for nothing could. Even demons would have been torn apart by the wildness of the magic, as even their twisted kind need some order to feast upon.

And that it how it would have remained, if the Golden Goddesses hadn't arrived from a Distant Nebula to bring about the waking of the world. There were three of these Goddesses, each possessing her own symbol and realm of power. Din, the Goddess of Power - also called the Goddess of the Sands and the Lady of Fire. Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, also called the Goddess of Time and the Bringer of Rain. And finally Farore, the Goddess of Courage, also known as the Goddess of the Winds and the Goddess of Life.

Together they brought order out of the chaos and forged the World of Light; that which would one day become Hyrule, Termina, Holodrum, Labrynna, Subrosia, New Hyrule and Hytopia. Din, with her strong flaming arms cultivated the land and created the red earth. Nayru, poured her wisdom onto the earth and created the natural laws of the world. Farore, with her rich soul produced all life forms to live under that law.

So three blessings of Power, Wisdom and Courage respectively.

With their labours complete, the three Goddesses departed for their distant home. At the point where they left however, three sacred golden triangles remained - the Triforce. This was both as a final gift for the races of the world and an anchor to prevent it falling into chaos. Together all three pieces of the Triforce would grant any wish, but only the pure of heart would be able to wield the artefact without issue. In the infinite wisdom, the Goddesses forsaw the problems such a powerful artefact could create and so did not leave it unguarded. Instead they passed it and the world as a whole into the care of the lesser goddess Hylia (or 'Her Grace'); future patron of the Hylian people and direct ancestor of the Royal Family.

Hylia moved the artefact into a secondary plane of Hyrule's reality, known then as 'The Silent Realm'. While life did have a strong prescence in that world as with our own, it was not mortal life for the realm was intended to be limited to spirits and other divine beings. This has changed over time, though not always for the best or noblest reasons. In the modern eras, this plane is known as 'The Sacred Realm'; though it was known as 'The Dark World' under the dominion of Ganon in the downfall timeline.

However, along with the Silent Realm came another reflection of the Light World. As this world was not an intended creation of the Goddesses, it was far more exposed to the ravages of the outer void and the damage that uncontrolled magic can inflict. Nonetheless life existed here as well, though it was not of a king that the normal races would appreciate. Though this corrupted place has many names, it is the traditional that is the most fitting - the Demon World. Even in the Era of Creation, evil existed in the Light World's shadow; waiting for its chance to rise against the Goddesses' chosen.

This was not the only world the Goddesses made in that era before time, in the void that might well still exist beyond the walls of our reality. Lorule, our sister world shared a identical origin though their history would be marked by the cost of rejecting the Goddesses' final gift. The World of the Ocean King dates from this period, though there is evidence to suggest that the Golden Goddesses were not intially involved in that world's creation. The Twilight Realm possibly also originates here, though the common suspicion is that the world was created by Hylia much later as a punishment for the Interlopers from the Force Era.

 _The Legend unfolds..._


	2. The Years before the Fall

**The Story of Hyrule**

 **The Years before the Fall**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

 _"Created by the Golden Goddesses and protected by the goddess Hylia, the world eventually became known as Hyrule."  
\- _from 'A History of the War of Light and Dark' by Sahasrahla the First.

 _"At that time, Her Grace ruled the world directly; there were no 'kings' claiming divine power. But those times have passed now, Hylia is gone!"_  
\- the 'Silver Eye', a leader of the Dark Interlopers.

 _"Long ago, an advanced civilization known as the Sheikah inhabited these lands."_  
\- the Ghost of King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule

There was once a great land that had never known strife or violence, that basked in the glory of the Triforce and the Goddess Hylia. It's name has been lost to time, as has most of its history. But an exploration of Hyrule's history would not be complete without it, for the repercussions of its existence have echoed for centuries.

At this time, the world was dominated by a vast grassland - interspersed with small forests and large mountain ranges. To the east was the great inland Lanayru Sea, while the sizable Lake Floria dominated the the southeast. Villages would primarily govern themselves, as there was no overall monarchy for none bore the blood of the Goddess. Writing was not widespread (a fact which certainly contributed to the loss of knowledge), though it certainly did exist as the 'Ancient Hylian' alphabet. Technology varied wildly depending upon the region, a situation that shall be explored in more detail shortly.

Unlike the present era, no great kingdoms existed to claim regions of the world. Instead the surface races were divided into numerous tribes, many of which were nomadic and were therefore in constant motion. This was aided by the lack of great forests carving up the land, as well as the abcense of Lanayru/Gerudo Desert. Therefore a tribe could spend the summer months in the northlands (where the Lizalfos Tribes now reign supreme), head south to present-day Termina or Hyrule for autumn and then head even further south to Labyrnna or Holodrum for winter.

Life in this land was overseen by a series of gods and spirits, all of which were supervised by the wisdom of Hylia. Each region of what is now Hyrule (named _Faro_ n, El _din_ and La _nayru_ in honour of the Golden Goddesses) was placed under the guardianship of an ancient dragon, who took their own name from the land. Other deities included the horse god Malanya, the great sky spirit Levias and the Four Giants of the west (later Termina). The First Great Deku Tree also sprouted during this era, but would not play a large role for centuries to come.

In time, eight races emerged to inhabit the newly formed Light World. They were:

The Gorons, a wandering people of rock from the southwest; blessed with immense strength and a capability to roll at fast speeds.

The Kikwi, a timid forest race; blessed with a strong affinity for nature and growth.

The Parella, aquatic servants of the dragon Faron; blessed with the ability to purify any water.

The Mogmas, favoured people of the dragon Eldin; blessed with supreme mining abilities and a strong resistance to heat.

The Ancient Robots, a mechanical race created by the dragon Lanayru; blessed with a high intelligence that fuelled their technological prowess.

The Subrosians, an underground secretive race; blessed with the inability to get lost.

The Oocca, an airborne race from the northeast; blessed with a miriad of technology and a magnificent flying city.

The Hylians, the chosen people of Hylia; blessed with extraordinary hearing and a natural ability to sense spirits.

Two subsets of the Hylian species would seperate from the main race in time. These were known as the Shiekah and the Gerudo. The Sheikah race was naturally stealthy and gifted in crafting magical artefacts, but contrary to their mysterious nature were dedicated followers of Hylia specifically, even more so than the Golden Goddesses. The Gerudo evolved from a sect of Hylians who travelled to the far south, beyond the jungles that marked the tip of the known world (in that era). What happened to them there will be explored in a later chapter, though I will state that they were sufficiently seperated from the known world to escape the events that ended this era.

As mentioned above, technology varied widly throughout the land. At the bottom were races such as the Kikwi and the Parella, who had no interest in advancement. Above them were the Gorons, Mogmas and Subrosians, who were dillegent craftsmen but had little interest in the higher matters. Above them were the Hylians (excluding the Sheikah) who were slowly approaching the beginnings of settled civilisation. Above them were the Sheikah and Oocca; who had already settled down (in Kakariko Village and the City in the Sky/Celestia respectively) and possesed phenomonal technological advances - though only in some areas of life. And finally at the top, were the Ancient Robots who controlled such a vast range of advancements that no society since can compare.

A small note must be placed here in reference to the Sheikah technology. The sorcerers of that tribe in this era created many magnificent tools that still endure today, but they also created the Divine Beasts and Guardians that would terrorise the land during the Era of Calamity. Those will be further discussed in the next chapter.

For many centuries, all was peaceful under the reign of the goddess Hylia. The land lived in a perpetual golden age, the only trouble being the occasional savage plant or territorial animal. The only military order - though of course certain races did have means to defend themselves - were the Sheikah guardians of Hylia and an order of Hylian knights founded to guard the scattered villages and peoples. The latter were created by another Hylian, a man named Link who had for much of his adult life been suffering from nightmarish dreams. It was in fear of those that he created this knightly order, that would later inspire the creation of Hyrule's own military.

As we know now, this man was the first Hero of Hyrule; the chosen knight of Hylia who has returned throughout the ages to fight evil. And his birth was a warning to Hyrule, a sign the kingdom would need a hero.

For the time of demons had arrived.

 _The Legend unfolds..._

* * *

 _For explanation, this is the land from before Demise emerged. Without any Zelda (and therefore without any royal bloodline) the races live as farmers in scattered villages, each governed by a mayor._

 _The other lands and other gods are taken from thoughout the series; I have made up the general locations of Termina, Holodrum and Labrynna (as well as the southern jungles) - basing this on maps from thoughout the series._

 _The Subrosians (from the Oracle Games) are not as far as we know canonical to this era. The Gerudo are likewise, but otherwise do not possese a 'splitting off' point from the main Hylian race. The Oocca most likely are canonical however, with the Encylopedia supporting me on this._

 _The Sheikah technology is of course that from Breath of the Wild._

 _The Link at the end is the one from the Skyward Sword Prequel Manga._


	3. The Ancient Battle

**The Story of Hyrule**

 **The Ancient Battle**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

 _"One dark, fateful day, the earth cracked wide and malevolent forces rushed forth from the fissure. They mounted a brutal assault upon the surface people, driving the land into deep despair... They burnt forests to ash, choked the land's sweet springs, and murdered without hesitation."_

\- Fi, Spirit of the Master Sword.

 _"It's my thinking - and it's supported by the scrolls - that the Demon King was not originally called 'Demise'. We named him, you see after the result of his actions."_  
\- Shad, Scholar of the Twilight Era.  
 _  
"In his thirst to make the world his own, Demise readied a massive army of monsters for war. He sought to take the Triforce for himself by force."  
\- _Zelda (I), reincarnation of Hylia.

The final year of this land began on one dark, fateful day. In that hour the earth cracked wide open as the inhabitants of the Demon World forced their way into Hylia's domain. The largest of these cracks rested in the peak of a large mountain in the northeast, which has since been called Eldin Volcano. Two smaller cracks (in comparison) resided in the west of present day Hyrule, in the peak of Mount Crenel and in the northern region henceforth known as the 'Breach of Demise'. While the mountains had certainly been volcanoes prior to the Demon invasion, the attack certainly contributed to their constant restlessness in the future - Eldin Volcano was renamed to 'Death Mountain' for a good reason. Similarly the Breach of Demise remains lifeless to this day, despite the actual crack collapsing in prehistory. Aside from these large chasms, there were other smaller cracks opened up throughout the Hyrule's continent.

From these fissures, malevolent forces rushed forth: Bokoblins, Moblins, Hinoxs and many other terrible demonic species. They led a brutal assault on the Light World, sparing none of the unprepared tribes or even offering them a quick death. At their head of this army was the Demon King himself; Demise. He (or _it_ depending on the interpretation) would look differently to whomever had the misfortune to glimpse him; so to a Goron he might appear as a great dragon, while a Parella might glimpse a corrupted shark. Such was his power that he could stand up to Hylia herself and nearly win. Further proof of his might can be gathered from the aura that accompanied him everywhere - he only had to rest in an area and corruption would set into the land. As his weapon he wielded a lesser demon, the spirit known as Ghirahim. It is no coincidence that this bears similarity to the presence of the spirit Fi in the Master Sword; though it is unknown whether Hylia based her weapon on Demise or the opposite.

Under Demise's direct command were the 13 Lords of the Demon Realm, many of whom have faded into myth over the ages. Since over half of them perished in the Ancient Battle, a lot of them remain nameless. However five of them would endure past this era in various forms and so they are listed below, along with the known information pertaining to a few others.

 **Majora, the Mad God:** A gigantic beast and Demise's lieutenant who prevented the flow of time with it's passing. It commited the massacres of 'the Narrow Sea' and 'the shattered peak', before being brought down by a lonely bard. The remnants of it's power were sealed inside a mask that was sealed itself in a tower in present day Termina. That mask was later destroyed by the Hero of Time in the Child Timeline, but presumably remain sealed in the others.

 **The Lord of Wrath:** The counterpart of Majora, variously called the kindest of demons and the most terrible except Demise. He took the form of a giant and was brought down in the midst of the war by Hylia's Chosen Hero. Like Majora, his power was sealed away in a mask - though the location remains unknown in all timelines.

The monsters Odowla, Goht, Gyorg and Twinmold may have been based on demons that Majora knew, but the truth of this is unknown.

 **Malladas, the Lord of Hatred:** A cunning 'son' of Demise, who fled Hylia's continent at the conclusion of the war only to be sealed away in the future New Hyrule by the Light Spirits. He would later be truly killed by either the Hero of Spirits, the Hero of Time or King Osfala Hyrule in the Adult, Child and Downfall Timelines respectively.

 **The Trickster:** The most mysterious of all the known Demon Lords, who appeared as a red-haired Hylian male and sabotaged the Surface Races from within. His actions led to a great many defeats and the near death of the Hero to an traitor. He nearly gained passage into the sky with the actual Hylians, but was spotted and defeated by the Goddess. He is believed to be alive in all timelines, though it is said that he cannot truly manage a Hylian form after his defeat.

A sentient storm of some kind, brought down by the Hero with the aid of the dragon Eldin.

 **Bellum, the Great Devourer:** A colossal demon in the shape of squid, that fed on the life energy of any who crossed it's path. It deserted Demise's side fairly early during the war by fleeing though a portal to another world, but was later killed by the Hero of Winds in the World of the Ocean King in the Adult Timeline. As far as we know he is still active in the other timelines.

The assault on the surface would would overwhelm the scattered tribes of the land. None were spared by the Demons, but the ambitions of their King were much greater. Under Demise's orders, forests were burnt to ash, while lakes and rivers dried up. The Eldin province was drowned in lava by the volcano, as was Mount Crenel. The entire Lanayru province started to dry up, the grassland and sea previously tended by the Ancient Robots giving way to a heartless and immense desert. The land itself cried out in deep despair...

And so the Goddess Hylia led the surface tribes to war. But first she sealed away the ancient artifact Demise truly lusted after, the Triforce. Taking a section of earth from her sacred temple and some more from elsewhere in the land (speculated to be the site of the future Lake Hylia), she sent them skyward beyond the clouds themselves. With them went the survivors of the Hylian race, who would go with the new islands to guard the Triforce from those who would seek to misuse its power on the surface world. Several other treasures went with them, including the Goddess' own harp and her sacred blade - the latter buried beneath a statue where it could guard over the dungeon below. Hylia also granted the new people of the Sky control over the great Loftwings, gigantic birds previously sworn to her alone. The Hylians could not take much with them to their new homes and so much of what was theirs stayed behind of the Surface; but so was the price of safety. Before long, the remaining Surface races would forget their existence - save perhaps the Gorons.

The Sky Spirit Levias also left with them, swearing to guard the Hylian people and the Triforce with his life.

With her sacred people safe, Hylia turned her attention to the demonic hordes. With her Chosen Hero (who had stayed behind in devotion to her) at her side, she mounted her own campaign against Demise and the demonic hordes. It would not be an easy conflict. Even against the power of Hylia and the other good deities, the demons were mighty. Among the casualties from the war were a dragon of the south (possibly of the future Ordon Province) and a great spirit of the western ocean. The hero was also killed fighting a Demon Lord and Hylia herself was gravelly wounded. All the Surface Races took heavy losses, especially the Shiekah tribe which was driven near to extinction for the first time. Many of their ancient places and practices vanished into myth as a result, including the Sheikah guardians - though there may have been other reasons behind their vanishing, which I will discuss in the next chapter.

The war ended with a final battle before the Temple of Hylia as the centre of present day Hyrule. The majority of the demonic hordes and among them most of the Demon Lords were destroyed. Demise himself was sealed in the ruins of the goddess' temple, at the centre of a great pit where he would remain for several centuries. The Demon World itself was also sealed away in Hyrule, though it would be reopened at least twice more in lands other than Hyrule. However, three of the Demon Lords managed to flee into alternate dimensions or far away lands; as did the sword-spirit Ghirahim who fled to the far south until the memory of him was lost. In the meantime a hard won peace returned to the surface, but from now on monsters and demons would eternally roam the world.

As mentioned previously, Hylia had been gravely wounded during her battle with Demise. Usually, one such as her would be able to heal herself over centuries and so keep her divinity. However, she knew Demise would return and that this time she would be unable to stop him with her power alone. Only the Triforce would be able to truly kill Demise - but the artefact of the Golden Goddesses cannot be used by a god. Hylia had a way to get around this, but it required that she shed her divinity and her power.

It would however ensure that she and her hero were reunited in the future...

With Hylia gone, the Dragons and the other spirits returned to their lairs to watch over the land and to do what they could until the goddess' return. The remains of their various temples would slowly sink into decay over the coming centuries, most becoming infested by dozens of monsters. Faron and Eldin withdrew into seclusion over the passing centuries, while Lanayru passed away from a terrible illness.

The wider world also changed with the course of time. The Surface Races withdrew from contact with one another, each settling into one region as a permanant home. Plant life in the Eldin region mostly dried up, though the newborn volcano would somewhat settle down in the future. The Lanayru plains fully transformed into a desert, with the Ancient Robots falling into extinction. The Mogmas and the Kikwi lost contact with the spirits altogether, while the Gorons left for the frozen north for centuries. The old paths between provinces slowly vanished, whole societies being cut off from their brethren.

The world waited to be rediscovered...

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

 _This part details the war from Skyward Sword's prologue and the battle between Hylia and Demise. A lot of influence came from the Skyward Sword manga which depicts that battle, though certain elements (such as the early Master Sword) have been changed._

 _Death Mountain is a consistently recurring location, Mount Crenei is from the Minish Cap and the Breach of Demise is from Breath of the Wild._

 _Majora, Bellum and Malladas are the villains for Majora's Mask, Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks respectively. Majora's fate here is inspired by the Majora's Mask prequel manga._

 _The Trickster and the Lord of Wrath are references to the Happy Mask Salesman and the Fierce Deity._

 _King Osfala is my own invention as a King who existed between Triforce Heroes and the original game. He is named for a sage in Link between Worlds._

 _Zelda's Harp in the SS opening being Hylia's harp is apparently canon according to the Encyclopedia._


	4. The Era of the Sky

**The Story of Hyrule**

 **The Era of the Sky**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

 _"In the sky, where the Hero and the other Hylians lived, the surface world is only a legend. Similarly, amongst tribes like the Gorons and Kikwi on the Surface, there are legends of a great landmass that floats in the sky."_  
\- Hyrule Historia

 _"So get this: people actually live on this sky island, and they get around by flying on the backs of huge birds that are way bigger than birds down here! Up there everyone reveres the goddess, and the residents of all the little islands in the sky live in a perfect society, totally free of conflict or unhappiness! Not only that, but from what I can tell, their civilization is way, way more advanced than ours down here. But it does not even stop there, bud! This Isle of the Goddess has even more stuff to marvel at! The place was crafted by the goddess herself, so it figures that it is filled with wonders we do not have here. The buildings are all made of gold! An endless spring of mystical water feeds a river through the place. One sip of that stuff, and you live forever! The trees are heavy with plump fruit that cures all disease! The fields are crowded with pumpkins that never rot! Magic wildflowers bloom everywhere! And the weather. Oh, the weather, bud! Not too hot, not too cold. No chance of sweaty weather in this garden paradise! That is the Isle of the Goddess... Amazing, right? WRONG! IT IS BEYOND AMAZING!"_  
\- Gorko, Goron Historian (most of this is inaccurate).  
 _  
"Great goddess, guiding light and protector of our people, grant us your blessing and mercy as I act in your stead during this ceremony. Valiant youth who grasped victory at the celebration of the bird folk... In accordance with the old ways... I now bestow the blessings of the goddess upon you. The blessings of the goddess drift down from the heavens aloft a sail, which I now pass on to you."_  
\- The traditional Blessing of the Wing Ceremony _.  
_  
Demise's resting place in the former Temple of Hylia would eventually give rise to a new name for the complex, that being the Sealed Grounds. As the land slowly fell into decay, the nearby forest would expand to surround the area - cutting it off from the fields beyond. The temple itself partly collapsed during the following centuries, as it's soul attendent was unable to fully prevent the wear brought on by time. This attendent was the Lady Impa, foremost warrior of the Shiekah (and future namesake of many a great warrior). In the moments before she had passed on, Hylia had entrusted the duty of watching over the sealed demon king to her, giving her the warning that it would be many centuries before Demise could truly be defeated. Nonetheless Impa would dedicate her life to this task, spending an eternity in the temple waiting for the return of the Goddess.

According to rumour, part of the duties Impa took on herself was sealing away the ancient technology of the Sheikah tribes. The shrines, guardians and divine beasts (the future Vah Naboris, Vah Medoh, Vah Ruta and Vah Rudania) were hidden away across the land, so that the monsters and any surviving Demon Lords could not gain control over them. With the Sheikah Tribe near extinction this proved necessary, as the hidden race retreated to inhabiting Kakariko Village alone. A few of them still helped Impa in the Goddess' task, as did the last few Ancient Robots - one of which ended up stranded on Skyloft during the process. The Gates of Time in both the Temple of Hylia and the Temple of Time were sealed away as well, with enchantments prepared to ensure that only the Goddess's own Harp could awaken them. Various dungeons were locked away by Impa as well, including the Shadow Temple and the Hidden Temple.

Hylia had also given the Sheikah a final role to play in the great task, though that would only become clear with time.

Meanwhile, above the clouds Skyloft prospered with the aid of the Loftwings. Though never a large society, the inhabitants were always healthy, dutiful and pious before the Goddess. Regular feast days were held in Hylia's honour and it became customary for each Skyloftian to offer their prayers before a 'bird statue' at least once every day. But even with the prominent worship of the Goddess, the story of how they came to be above the clouds faded quickly from memory. Knowledge of the surface receded into myth; the gods and lands of the Surface being forgotten except in the occasional old book. Even the Triforce was forgotten, except by the very small band of scholars known as the Legend Keepers.

These men and women dedicated themselves not only to keeping the myths of the ancient land alive, but to ensuring that when the time came Skyloft was ready to return below the clouds and retake the Light World. To this end several Knight Academies were formed; the latest of them coming into creation 25 years before the true rediscovery of the Surface at the hands of Kean Gaepora. This order is the direct descendent of the Hyrulian army of today and the Order of Knights, though obviously customs have changed since the Era of the Sky. For example, the uniform of the knights in this era (long tunic with chainmail and cap) is no longer used for the armies of the realm - though the clothes of the various reincarnations of the Hero have been usually based on the outfit's of the protectors of Skyloft.

Over the few hundred years lived above the clouds, the culture of Skyloft evolved into its own distinct style; many customs and traditions that would shape the coming Hyrule would find their origin here. For instance, the Wing Ceremony where hopefuls would have to attempt to retrieve an statue to present to a representative of the Goddess, became the Knight's Trials - though the later ones would happen more than once a year out of necessity. The tradition of pumpkin soup on the fifth day of the week began in this era, started by the restaurant known as the Lumpy Pumpkin. Music was considered as the finest of arts, with the harp and voice being the most popular instruments. Clothes were built thick and durable to withstand the strong winds high in the sky and while that tradition has not entirely endured, Hylians have continued the style of weaving or dying bright colors into everything. Aside from color however, life was relatively frugal on Skyloft due to the lack of space. Perhaps from necessity, many Skyloftians preferred to their ashes scattered into open sky rather than be buried in the small graveyard on the island.

Life in the Sky aside from the Hylian race was more widespread than it at first might appear. The Loftwings are by far the most famous of course, but several other animals that would prove popular in artwork were popular during this period; including the Ringer (a small flying rodent) and the Remlit (a predecessor to the common cat). Various species of insect also existed, such as the Skyloft Mantis, the Starry Firefly and the Sky Stag Beetle. Blessed Butterflies also inhabited the Sky, as they did throughout the entire world. The elephant was also popular as a symbol on Skyloft, though sadly the actual animal went extinct during this period and the Skyloftians slowly forgot what the animal was. Plant life existed in the form of several flower types (including the so-called Heart Flower) along with trees that had travelled to the Sky with the Hylian race.

After many centuries, there came a day when a young man named Link participated in the Wing Ceremony and handed the statue to his childhood friend Zelda.

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

 _The Divine Beasts are a nod to the backstory for Breath of the Wild, partly so I can avoid the 10,000 year time skip suggested by that game. The reason why the the later kingdom believes they are to deal with Ganon rather than Demise is due to the latter slowly fading from memory._

 _Scrapper is the Ancient Robot who got marooned._

 _The Shadow Temple will become very important later, but it originates in Ocarina of Time. The Hidden Temple is from BOTW._

 _Headmaster Gaepora's first name (Kean) is based upon the Kea species of bird, which is often regarded as the most intelligent in the world._

 _Quite a bit of information on life in Skyloft has been taken from the encylopedia, though the scattering of ashes was my own invention._

 _All of the animals mentioned can be found in Skyward Sword (except the elephant, which is of course a nod to Vah Ruta)._


	5. The Sealing of Malladus

**The Story of Hyrule**

 **The Sealing of Malladus**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

 _"This is a tale from long ago. It's the tale of the first settlers of this land. In the beginning, the people followed the spirits of good, and all was peaceful. But that era of peace soon came to an end. The evil Demon King rose to power, destroying everything in his path. The spirits of good had no choice but to face him in battle. The war that ensued seemed to last an eternity, and much blood was shed. Finally, the spirits subdued the Demon King, though they could not destroy him. Their powers were greatly depleted."  
_

\- Niko, a former companion of the Hero of Winds.

 _"Demise and Hylia have destroyed each other. Only I remain!"_  
\- Malladus, Self-proclaimed Demon King.

" _We are called the Lokomos. We are servants of the spirits. They have entrusted us with protecting the temples and the Spirit Tracks._ "  
\- Anjean, Protector of the Tower of Spirits.

One of the 13 servants of Demise had fled far across the eastern ocean to the southeastern continent, the future New Hyrule. Malladus as he was known, was the son of the Demon King and claimed his father's title in the new world. Initially he was unopposed and so founded his own empire far from the sight of the Shiekah and the other races of Hyrule. In this he was aided by the lesser demon Cole, who would often disguise himself as a human to pass unnoticed amongst the enslaved tribes (this notably bears some similarity to the preferred tactic of the Trickster, though he and Cole are not believed to be the same entity). Several other demons also followed Malladus to this continent, including the bokoblins that would later evolve into the miniblin supspecies.

Life was short and hard for those unfortunate enough to be born into Malladas' empire. If they were not being worked to death in the fields to feed the stomachs of the demons, they were being forced to build huge monuments to Malladus' might and power. Many people who did not work as hard as the demons wished were themselves served at dinner, sometimes being consumed while they still lived. In the meantime great diseases carved chunks out of the population, including varieties of the wasting sickness, the hallucinative flu and the royal disease. And with no physicians dedicated to finding a cure (for of course the demons did not get ill as mortals did), the plagues would usually only die out once the entire region had perished for one reason of another.

Five rebellions against the Demon King were crushed, with their members being scattered to the winds or slaughtered. As both sides of these wars were powerful in the magical arts, great areas of the landscape were devastated; the east formed into an immense desert and volcanic range while the northwest collapsed into a frozen tundra. The continent's native species were all but wiped out, with only the Anouki tribe in the far north and some Gorons in the east escaping in large numbers. For the Hylian (presumably) inhabitants of the Empire however, there only one hope; the 'Spirits of Good'.

Counterparts to the Four Giants of Termina and the Ancient Dragons, these Spirits had watched over the continent since the Era of Creation and had not taken Malladus' arrival happily. Though it took time for them to gather their strength, they were eventually able to rouse themselves and launch a devestating attack on the centre of Malladus' Empire. For the Demon King who had grown lazy and confident in his dominion, this was completely unexpected and resulted in him being forced to flee with his tail between his legs. The wider empire was also plunged into chaos, as the Hylian natives flocked to the side of Spirits and their servants - the Lokomo Tribe. Throughout the land the prisons, palaces and monuments of the Demons were cast down and sundered, usually with their cruel inhabitants still inside. As the very presence of the Spirits hurt the Demon Tribe, the war very quickly fell into their favour.

But Malladus was not a Demon Lord of Demise for nothing. Rousing his remaning troops, he personally led a brutal resistance against the spirits by slaughtering all who sided with them. Though the exact numbers are impossible to determine, it is believed he executed at least half of the remaining Hylian population. Malladus wielded a gigantic axe for this purpose, which possibly contained a sword-spirit in the vein of Fi or Ghirahim. Cole also assisted, by piloting a semi-sentient locamotive called the Demon Train that had originated in the Demon World (known in this land as the Dark Realm). While the Spirits had their own counterpart to the train, it was not as powerful in combat. The location of the Dark Realm was also unknown to the Spirits, though they were able to track the location of the Demon Train with the aid of a magic compass.

Alongside the compass and the 'Spirit Train', the Spirits had granted two legendary weapons to their Lokomo allies. These were the Bow of Light and the somewhat unimaginatively named 'Lokomo Sword', counterparts to the weapons used by Hylia and her reincarnations. It was these alone that secured the Spirits victory, by luring Malladus to the centre of the land and tricking him into being sealed beneath a set of enchanted tracks. These tracks stretched across the continent and were connected in the middle by the mighty Tower of Spirits. Guardians were assigned to watch over each of the tracks and the tower, in case the Demon King might ever manage to escape his bonds. Without their leader the other demons fell into conflict amongst themselves, with Cole himself sealing the Demon Train away before fleeing even further to the east to escape justice.

However, there were consequences to their victory for the Spirits of Good as well. They had so exhausted their combined powers fighting Malladus and creating the Spirit Tracks, that they were forced to retreat to the heavens. In their place remained the Lokomo, who were tasked with looking after the land in their absence. The remaining Hylians dissolved into scattered tribes, which is how they would remain until a former pirate and future queen landed her craft on the continent's lost shores.

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

 _Here we see the origin story for the Tower of Spirits in Spirit Tracks, as well as the whole predicament Malladus in in. Cole is Chancellor Cole, as in the evil leprechaun who the royal family apparently trusted for a while._

 _The Royal Disease is the Macguffin responsible for Zelda having so small a family in many a game._

 _I'm not even bothering to explain where the trains came from. Blame Nayru!_

 _Each of the mentioned artefacts (Sword, Bow, Compass, Train) play a key role in the game._

 _I have had to rewrite this chapter in it's near entirety to properly resemble the backstory for Spirit Tracks. I think everything is accurate now, but I advise caution._


	6. The Surface Rediscovered (SS Part 1)

**The Story of Hyrule**

 **The Surface Rediscovered**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

 _"Rise, Link... The time has come for you to awaken... You are fated to have a hand in a great destiny, and it will soon find you... The time has come for you to awaken... Link..."_

\- Fi, Spirit of the Goddess Sword/Master Sword.  
 _  
"By all rights the girl should have fallen into our hands already. She was nearly ours when that loathsome servant of the goddess snatched her away."_  
\- Ghirahim, Servant of Demise.  
 _  
"Link! You must go now. Return to the old woman at the Sealed Grounds. Tell her what happened here. She will know where you must go!"_  
\- Lady Impa, in the midst of Ghirahim's attempt to kidnap Zelda.

As the 25th Anniversary of the Skyloft Knight Academy dawned, the Golden Goddesses had decided the time was right for the Hylian race to return to the surface. The reincarnations of the Hero and Hylia were on the brink of adulthood, having grown strong in the peace of the Sky. The first Link and Zelda were ready for the challenges to come, though they did not yet suspect the important role they would play in the world's history. In this life Zelda was the daughter of Keel Gaepora, headmaster of the Knight's Academy while Link was an orphaned student. As it did every year, the academy held a festival called the Wing Ceremony to determine who would become the next Knight of Skyloft. Link was participating this year, though Zelda herself was slightly too young to join him. She would instead be playing the role of the Goddess in the ceremony, by blessing the victorious knight atop a large statue of the Goddess. The exact layout of the ceremony varied from year to year, but on this occasion required the retrival of a statue from a Golden Loftwing. As one might expect, the Hero's reincarnation won with only minor difficulty.

For weeks prior to these events, the Goddesses had been slowly working to temporarily weaken the Cloud Barrier that seperated Skyloft from the Light World below. This barrier had prevented the demonic hordes from ever touching the Hylian populace, though recently that fact had become endangered due to the possesion of the Sky Spirit Levias by a demon known as Bilocyte while he had been visiting the Ancient Dragons. Unsuspecting of the true reason for the barrier's weakening, the sword spirit Ghirahim (who had only recently returned from the south) took this opportunity to try and kidnap Hylia's reincarnation in the form of a black tornado. Zelda and Link had been enjoying a leisurely flight (which the bards have immortalised in the song 'Romance in the Air') prior to this occurance and while she was sucked down to the Surface, he was barely rescued by his Loftwing. The Demon Batreax also took this opportunity to flee to Skyloft, in the hopes of living peacefully among the Hylians.

Ghirahim's scheming was thwarted by the Lady Impa, who redirected Zelda's fall to the former Temple of Hylia; now referred to among the few who knew about it as 'The Sealed Temple'. As with all of the temples and other surviving buildings of the land, the Sealed Temple had fallen into ruin - the roof caving in, the great doors beginning to slide out of their hinges. Impa, who had obtained a great age (potentially the oldest for a mortal in Hyrule's history) would meet the young girl there and inform her of the quest she was destined to undertake - though she held back on revealing her knowledge of the girl's divine heritage for the time being. She did however present Zelda with a dress in the style of Hylia's and directions to a Sacred Spring within the Faron Woods region.

Meanwhile in Skyloft the Hero had been contacted by the Sword Spirit Fi, who had awoken after a long slumber in the base of the Goddess Statue. On the orders of Hylia, Fi guided Link to her vessel and once he had drawn the Goddess Sword from its pedestal, informed him of his destiny - or at least part of it. The Goddess's century long plan required that neither Zelda or Link knew the entire truth until they were ready and prepared for the final challenges. Unknowing therefore, Link was guided down to the surface himself with the aid of an enchanted tablet and his own Loftwing, a crimson breed that was formerly thought extinct. According to legend, this bird was the same animal ridden by the First Hero in the Ancient Battle (and the basis for the mark on every Hylian Shield) that had returned to accompany its master once more in another life.

The Hero himself would first arrive at the Sealed Grounds where more of his quest was revealed by Impa. While at the temple he had to prevent the escape of Demise, who's seal had gradually weakened over the centuries. While the Demon King would not be able to create a physical form just yet, soon the seal would weaken enough for that to be possible. Defeating him after that would be difficult for the Hero in his current state, so time was of the essence. Link's first quest was to find Zelda and protect her, for Impa had foreseen that Ghirahim would come after her even with his initial plan foiled. To this end, the hero made his passage into Faron Woods after his friend. On the way he would encounter a Goron historian called Gorko, the author of many historical texts including 'A History of the Land of Hylia' from which this book draws some information. As with most known Gorons of this period, Gorko was a traveller by nature as long term mines were a dangerous prospect in the demon-infested world. There were settled Goron Tribes in the far north and far south where the Demons were few in number; but they were not very sizable and are not relevant to this chapter.

In the years since the Ancient Battle, the large forest to the southeast of future Hyrule which would exist under many names in the future had regressed to wildness. Only a few signs of the prior era remained standing; some crumbling walls, an overgrown lookout point at its northern edge and the gates to Lake Floria which Faron the Water Dragon had personally protected. It was also infested by Bokoblin tribes, as was the case with most areas on the continent. Some of these were certainly agents of Ghirahim, though it is unknown to what extent. Regardless, Link was quick to make contact with the Kikwi people who guided him onwards towards the ruins of Skyview Temple. Formerly a temple to Faron, the temple had become infested with demons and other monsters over the centuries. One of the most horrifying signs of this was the reanimated skeleton - a Stalfos - of a knight of the old land, possessed now by dark spirits. But the worst was yet to come.

For it was here that the sword spirit Ghirahim made his presence known. Confronting the Hero in the entranceway to the Sacred Spring, the Demon attempted to interrogate Link to discover the plans of Impa and relieve his own frustration. The Hero refused and managed to drive off the Demon Lord when he attempted to pummel him into submission. One thing to note about this duel (it would not be their last) is that Ghirahim was able to grasp the Goddess Sword, apparently in violation of its title as 'the Blade of Evil's Bane'. This is in truth due to the blade currently being untempered, a process that would need to happen for the sword to truly repel all evil. While the Hero would not find Zelda in Skyview Spring (later known as the Spring of Courage), he would find the clues necessary to point him in her direction once more. Even more crucially, he prevented the Demon Lord from being able to capture her - buying time for Hylia's champions to prevent Demise's rebirth.

The Hero next travelled to the volcanic region of Eldin, a land cursed by eternal lava flows ever since the attack from the Demon World (though it had calmed down somewhat). Even moreso than the Faron region, signs of the old kingdom were few and far between - limited to a bridge and the entrance to the Earth Temple (dedicated to Din); though the latter was still mostly destroyed by magma and the passage of time. A few scattered areas did show signs of recent life however, including a few bokoblin villages and a mine formerly inhabited by the Mogmas. Speaking of that people, they were beginning to show signs of their decent into the bandits of Hyrule's early history - fuelled doubtless by the stress of living in a volcano - but were still predominatly friendly and helpful to Link. This is also the area where the Hero would first encounter a Lizalfos, of the northern raptor variety rather than the southern chameleon sub-species. Their kind had begun moving south after the exodus of the Hylian people, though they were limited to Eldin Volcano and the region known as 'the Sand Sea'.

At the sacred spring in this temple, Link would finally reunite with Zelda after defeating a Lava Monster summoned by Ghirahim. Their reunion was cut short by a younger Impa (who had travelled forward through a Gate of Time) reminding the Goddess' reincarnation of her duties and indirectly her own plan. For unbeknownst to the hero, Zelda had received back memories of her past life through bathing in the springs. And those memories had confirmed both the good and _bad_ parts of the Goddess' plan. This included the unconscious manipulation of both Zelda and Link; how they had been made to care for one another, how the Spirits had ensured that they would be ready for the task. By all accounts this would be a heavy weight on the girl's mind, especially now that she feared her friendship might have been based on a lie.

The third and final region the Hero would visit was the Lanayru region, a land of fertile plains and lush vegetation. Or at least that was the case several hundred years previously, for now Lanayru was a vast desert with very few inhabitants - Hrok Birds, Amphoros, a few Chuchus. Unlike in the previous two regions, much of the machinery and many of the structures had been preserved; but that did not matter when they were centuries out of use and clogged with sand. However the hero found a solution, due to the mysterious ore mined by the Ancient Robots in this region. Timeshift stones, as their name implies were somehow able to project a small time displacement field around themselves when charged or struck. The leading theory is that this has something to do with the Goddess Nayru, due to her alternate title as the Goddess of Time. The Ocarina of Time (constructed with a small timeshift stone passed down from the first Link) and its connection to the Temple of Time supports this hypothesis, for that temple is primarily dedicated to Nayru (later Hylia) even if the other goddesses are worshipped there as well.

With the aid of these stones, the Hero was temporarily able to travel back to when Lanayru was a grassland rather than a desert. By doing this he was able to communicate with the Ancient Robots at the height of their civilisation and access their structures while they were in working order. This would prove necessary as the entrance to Link's destination - the Temple of Time (a seperate building to the one built on the ruins of the Sealed Temple) had collapsed, forcing him to make a detour through Lanayru Mining Facility. Much of the technology he discovered there has been lost, though magnetism and the Beamos/Armos sentries have been reconstructed in later years by several species and tribes. The 'Beetle' drone (though it was actually first found in Skyview Temple) has also seen some of its technology rediscovered, most notably in the rebuilding of the Guardian Skywatchers and Sentries.

After defeating a Moldarach (a thousand year old Aracha scorpion grown to immense size) infesting the final chamber of the facility, Link emerged in the ancient Temple of Time where he was reunited with Impa and Zelda. Unfortunately their reunion was once again cut short, this time by the arrival of Ghirahim who swiftly defeated Impa (despite a valiant defence) and would have seized Hylia's reincarnation there if the Hero hadn't intervened. Zelda and the injured Shiekah retreated through one of the two Gates of Time (which Impa had previously deactivated) destroying it in the process. Link was left with only Zelda's harp, passed to him during the battle and an instruction to seek out the Old Impa once more...

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

 _The Harp used by the later Princess Zelda is a nod to Shiek._

 _The Loftwing being the same steed as the First Hero is a nod to the Skyward Sword manga._

 _The Spring of Courage and the Guardians are from Breath of the Wild._

 _The 'Bandits' the Mogmas are suggested to become are the Acro-Bandits from Minish Cap. Trust me, they were_ _ **very**_ _annoying._

 _The mention of Lizalfos is a reference to the vast difference seen between the Ocarina of Time/Skyward Sword/Twilight Princess Variety and the Breath of the Wild version._

 _The Ocarina of Time/Timeshift Stone theory is from Hyrule Historia._

 _ **A Note on future chapters:**_ _The Games will usually receive three chapters, with some exceptions such as Four Swords and Triforce Heroes._

 _Also for reference in advance, the amiibo/DLC armours and weapons for Breath of the Wild are not counted as canon here. Because it would make no sense._


	7. The Hero's Trials (SS Part 2)

**The Story of Hyrule**

 **The Hero's Trials**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

 _"The Silent Realm was a place of upmost beauty, free of darkness or any shade of the Demon King. And yet...it was more terrible than any other place I have travelled."_

\- Extract from the memoirs of the Hero of Legend.  
 _  
"Stripped of his true physical form by the seal that binds him, he takes the shape of an abomination. But even in his hideous state, he's more than capable of devouring this land if we allow him to do what he desires."_  
\- Zelda, the Goddess Hylia reborn.  
 _  
"A report, Master. This is Lanayru Sand Sea. This whole area was once a vast ocean. But the water has all evaporated, and now the area is a sea of sand."_  
\- Fi, describing the future Gerudo Desert.

It was just as well that the Hero was headed back to the Sealed Grounds at this time, for Demise was ready to make his first break for freedom. As the Hero and Impa discussed the harp Zelda had passed onto him, the Demon King rose from the pit. Taking the form of an immense black monstrosity (with vague similarities to forms Ganon would later take) that the Hero would later title 'the Imprisoned', the spectre of Demise attempted to force its way into the Sealed Temple where it could regain its power. It was only by his quick thinking that Link was able to defeat the monster, for its skin was resistant to the blows of a sword - even one forged by the goddess. Victory was possible only because Demise had not been able to force off all of his chains in this battle. Imbedded deep within his forcehead were the remnants of the enchanted spike used to seal him away. Seeing this, the Hero climbed the beast and forced the spike back into the beast's head, sapping its power with every blow.

It would prove enough for this battle, preventing Demise from attacking those present in the temple. However he would not remain sealed for long, so the Hero would be forced to act quickly from this time onwards - lest there came a day when he could not contain the power of the imprisoned Demon King. Therefore Link and the Old Impa retreated once more into the Sealed Temple to talk. Even with Zelda and the young Impa now traveling in the past, there was a way for Link to reunite with them. Doing so however would require the reactivation of the Sealed Temple's Gate of Time, which needed the touch of three sacred flames dedicated to each of the Golden Goddesses to open.

Unfortunately, said flames had not only been hidden at far corners of the world but were sealed behind nefarious trials as well. Undaunted, the Hero traveled back to Skyloft to search for information on the flames. Eventually he would make his way into the Thunderhead (the region of the Sky patrolled by the cursed Levias) and then onto the Isle of Songs; where he was able to activate the next part of the Goddess's plan. Through an enchanted statue she taught him three songs: Farore's Courage, Nayru's Wisdom and Din's Power. These songs would later go onto play an important role in the worship of several different cultures, certainly passed down from the memories of the Hero of Legend. More crucially in the _present_ , these tunes would unlock the Trial Gates in each province and allow the Hero to enter the shrouded dimension of the Silent Realm.

The secrets of this realm were guarded by constructs created by Hylia named Guardians (no relation to the Shiekah-created robots) and Watchers. To pass the trial, the Hero would have to avoid disturbing them as he moved around the realm collecting Tears of Light - actually parts of the seal for objects to be passed on to Link. The worst part however was that none of the Hero's equipment could head into the trial with him, rendering him defenceless against the giant blades and maces of the Guardians. The Hero would be forced to do this three times to unlock the location of each sacred flame, after which he was able to travel onwards respectively to the hidden locations of the Sacred Flames. The three gifts gained were a scale of the dragon Faron, a pair of hookshots and a pair of earrings enchanted against heat. The latter two would be passed down in the royal family until the Era of the Hero of Time (though the clawshots would be replicated by the castle workshops in several forms), but the former would be passed into the Zora royal family as a gift just prior to the Hyrulian Civil War.

The first of the new areas to be tackled was Lake Floria (located slightly south of Faron Woods), where the Hero arrived to the aftermath of a battle between the forces of Ghirahim and the water dragon Faron. The Demon had been attempting to look for information about another Gate of time (presumably this knowledge was to be gained by torturing Faron), but had been driven off by the dragon and the Parella under her command. She had been badly wounded however and required that Link bring her water from Skyview Spring before she was willing to open the passage to the Sacred Flame.

Farore's fire was hidden inside a former temple to the goddess now called the Ancient Cistern (it is unknown what the original name was), which served a secondary purpose as a way for Faron to control the water levels throughout the region without exerting herself. The temple had been built over a natural complex of tunnels to aid in this purpose, but those had proved its undoing when they were used by the demonic forces as an invasion route. Sure enough it was one of the first strongholds to fall, with only the uppermost levels remaining untainted due to a ancient automaton named Koloktus (any relation to the Ancient Robots is unknown, though it is deemed likely). Even Koloktus had decayed with time however and was therefore easily corrupted when the wounded Demon Lord reappeared to challenge Link. It was a challenging battle for the hero, for age had not weakened the automaton's attacks; but Link was eventually able to progress to the sacred flame and temper the Goddess Sword in its heat, lengthening it and increasing its resistance to evil.

The second location on the Hero's list was Lanaryu Sand Sea, a region that provoked a quandary for him. Over centuries the once magnificent sea had been swallowed up by the desert; with its islands, harbours and shipyards being similarly consumed by the ever encroaching sands. Link was only able to cross the desert by once again using the power of the Timeshift Stones to travel into the past, granting him a tantalising vision of what once was. However the sacred flame of Nayru had been moved, as it's temple had been captured by pirates in the aftermath of Demise's sealing. It was only with the help of an old robot captain called LD-301N Skipper that the Hero was able to discover where the flame had been moved, namely onto the captain's old ship (now also captured by pirates) where it had been hoped that it would be safe.

With the aid of a small boat recovered from the only surviving harbour, Link was able to force the Sandship (which was strangely still sailing despite the passage of time) to come to a stop by blasting its propellers with a cannon. Climbing aboard, he quickly annihilated the pirate captain (LD-002G Scervo) and his crew - using a timeshift stone embedded in the mast to assist himself. However when he entered the engine room in the hopes of finding the flame there, the ship was attacked from outside by a powerful creature known as a Leviathan (this specific example was later nicknamed Tentalas). It is to this day unknown exactly what the creature was and whether it had been summoned by Ghirahim (though this is unlikely due to the ship being in the past at the time). A general consensis is that the creature was not of demonic origin, but this is unconfirmed. Regardless, while the hero was able to defeat the beast and claim the flame (this time increasing the power of Fi) - he was unable to prevent the ship from sinking in the past. The Ancient Robots under Skipper would eventually rebuild it (also in the past), but even with their efforts the vessel would fully sink approximately fifteen years after the discovery of the surface. The bodies of Skipper and his crew would be lost with the ship. The pirate's fortress would later form the foundations of the Gerudo Spirit Temple, dedicated to the Goddess Din.

The final flame was hidden in the secret temple of Din deep within the Eldin Volcano caldera, the mystical Fire Sanctuary. With the aid of a reactivated Ancient Robot called LD-301S Scrapper (the future caretaker of the Master Sword) and the Mogma Elder Guld, the Hero was able to pass through the temples many challenges to claim the final sacred flame and reunite with Zelda. Unfortunately, Ghirahim took this moment to once more challenge the Hero. Deciding that his demons were no use in defeating Link, the healed Demon Lord proceeded to engage the Hero himself - transforming partway into his true Sword Spirit form to do so. As the Goddess Sword was not truly completed yet, it could not pierce his enchanted skin forcing Link to focus on taking advantage of Ghirahim's over confidence and vanity. Even with his cunning however, the Hero struggled to defeat the demon - gaining several scars that he would beat for the rest of his life.

But he did win once again. And proceeding to the final sacred flame he thrust his blade skyward, the fire anointing it and reshaping it into a new form...

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

 _The reference to 'Ganon forms' is a nod to both Calamity Ganon and the Floaty-head form from Twilight Princess. And the CDI games, probably._

 _The Dragon Scale being passed to the Zoras is a nod to Hyrule Warriors, where that is one of Ruto's Weapons. The Civil War is the battle pre-Oot._

 _I put in the part about the second flame moving because it being originally placed on a ship made little sense to me. Still a brilliant dungeon though!_

 _The Pirate Fortress becoming the Spirit Temple (and later the Arbiter's Grounds) is a popular fan theory._


	8. The Demon King Falls (SS Part 3)

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Demon King Falls**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

Upon returning to the Sealed Grounds, the Hero was forced to once more drive off Demise's imprisoned form. This was made more difficult by the formation of arms on the black monstrosity, allowing it to climb the walls of the pit to make its ascent quicker. But Link had his own advantages, in the form of his thrice-tempered blade and the assistance of Groose (the founder of House Groose, wardens of the Snowpeak region until the Great Plague prior to the Invasion of the Twili), a fellow Skyloftian who had descended to the surface himself to find Zelda. He set about doing this by constructing an ingenious catapult (the remains of which are kept in the royal archives) that would launch bomb flowers, an explosive plant from the north of Hyrule at the Imprisoned to stun it. Thanks to this method the Demon King was driven back even quicker than in the first battle and the Sealed Temple was once again safe for a short period of time.

But there was no time for Link and Groose to catch up with each other at that time, for events of the far past demanded the Hero's attention. Raising his sword to the heavens and calling down divine energy, the hero cast a beam of light - a Skyward Strike at the Sealed Gate of Time. And with the weight of ages and the sound of the heavens, the Gate formed and opened in the Sealed Temple. Travelling over centuries was now possible between Zelda's location (shortly after Demise's defeat) and Link's in the present. It is unknown nowadays if traveling to any any other date would have been possible, as the Hero and the Goddess's reincarnation would later make the choice to permanently disable the Gate of Time.

The younger Impa was waiting for Link there, but the Hero only had eyes for his missing friend. The Goddess's reincarnation awaited him in the innermost sanctuary of the temple, behind a set of enormous doors that had been closed in the future. And there she told him the truth of the Goddess's plan. Not only of their status as resurrections, but of the true plan for eradicating Demise permanently. In the time of the Ancient Battle, the Goddess had been unable to defeat and destroy Demise completely for one simple reason - she could not use the Triforce, being a god. Only a mortal could wield the sacred power and so with the First Hero dead, Hylia had planned for the creation of another worthy of the power of the Golden Goddesses. One who had proved his worth in the challenges of each goddess, one who had risked everything for another, one who would never - could never betray Hylia's reincarnation. Link himself. All the suffering and pain the Hero and Zelda had gone through had been under Hylia's design, for she knew that only a pure heart could wield the ultimate power.

Zelda was ashamed of her predecessor's actions, even if they were for the greater good. The realisation that her greatest friendship was based on ancient manipulation was a bitter pill to accept. And the fact that she could not turn away from the plan was even worse, lest she allow Demise to conquer and desolate the Surface World. It was as if she herself had betrayed her friend and all she could do was offer her apologies. She did find a final way to help her Hero however, namely by blessing his sword herself so that it might achieve its true form as the Master Sword. And then she sealed herself away in a eternal crystal, so to secure Demise's soul at the cost of her own freedom. To her mind it felt as if it was the only way to pay back Link for his troubles, though she did extract one promise from him before she fully slumbered:

 _"Ever since we were kids, I'd always be the one to wake you up when you slept in. But this time, when all this is over, will you come to wake me up?"_

And with no hesitation the Hero replied:

 _"I promise."_

And so Zelda sealed herself in a sleep without end. The Hero returned to the present, bidding farewell to Impa (who herself promised that she would protect the sleeping Zelda) and closing the Gate behind him. Then he returned to the Sky to seek out the present day location of the Triforce. Hylia herself had not hidden it, instead instructing the ancient Legend Keepers to hide it where the Demon King could not find it. Unfortunately this led to an large issue when the present day Legend Keeper - Headmaster Gaepora, Zelda's father - had no records of where exactly it was hidden. All the Headmaster could advise was that Link seek out the memory of the Great Sky Spirit Levias, a noble and gentle being with a large similarity to both the Wind Fish and the powerful Sea God Oshus.

Unfortunately, while finding Levias was no big trouble - merely requiring a gift of pumpkin soup from a local tavern - gaining information from him would prove to be much more challenging. For on to a trip below the clouds to meet with the three dragons, Levias had encountered the Demon Lord Ghirahim who had infected him with a parasite in the hopes that the possessed Sky Spirit would be forced to open a passageway into the skies. While this plot failed - undoubtedly due to Levias's own powers of resistance - the parasite (named Bilocyte by the Hero) still succeeded in driving the Spirit out of his mind with fury and pain. A byproduct of this was the corruption of the Thunderhead region with violent storms and flying demons nicknamed Sky Tails.

Considering the speed and size of the possessed spirit, none of Link's weapons - even the Master Sword - would have any effect, forcing the Hero to take to the skies on his own Loftwing and deliver blows to the trailing growths with beak and wind. The terrible conditions for flying would only make this worse, as would the contortions of the Sky Spirit - his tail in particular nearly killed the Hero on multiple occasions. But for every near-death of the Hero and his steed, there was a successful charge of the Crimson Loftwing in this great duel in the heavens. And when the true 'head' of Bilocyte finally emerged from the Spirit's blowhole, the Hero leaped onto the back himself and smote the beast apart with beams of the Master Sword's light. For a moment it looked as if Levias himself had been destroyed by the sword's power as well, but quickly he rose again - renewed by the Hero's actions and grateful for his help.

In his gratitude, the Sky Spirit revealed that the Triforce was hidden on the main island of Skyloft, behind another Trial Gate. To open the gate itself, Link needed to play an old tune of legend from the ancient world entitled the 'Song of the Hero' (a tune which has endured to the modern day). Each one of the guardian dragons - plus Levias - had a part of the song, requiring the Hero to seek them out to ask for it. Once the song was assembled, the Trial Gate would open and allow the Hero to once more enter the Silent Realm. And so with the knowledge of what he needed to do next, the Hero headed to the surface once more.

Reaching the Dragons Faron and Eldin was not particularly difficult for the Hero at this stage in his journey. Bokoblins and other enemies would be sent flying with a single swipe of the completed sword. The bow scavenged from the Sandship allowed him to kill lesser opponents from a distance. The only true challenge presented was another attempt by the Imprisoned to escape, which was quickly thwarted by Link and Groose despite the creature's newfound ability to fly (though it did remind the Hero and his allies that with the seal weakening at an immense rate, time was most definitely of the essence). While traveling the Hero also had to deal with a flood and a volcanic eruption caused by the dragons to clear away the monsters infesting their respective lands. With some effort, the Hero bypassed the disasters and learnt the first two parts of the Song of the Hero.

Getting the song part from the dragon Lanayru would prove to be more difficult however, for as it turned out the dragon had not been spared the calamity that befell the rest of his homeland. In the final days before the great desertification of the province, Lanayru had come down with a grave illness - meaning that he was already dead by the time the hero arrived. The Hero was only able to converse with the dragon by once more using a Timeshift Stone. The only cure for the disease known was the fruit of a Life Tree, which the dragon's robotic servants had attempted to nourish. Unfortunately the tree would only flower every hundred years, long after Lanayru was already dead. Link could also not collect the fruit from its future incarnation in the desert as the young tree had died with the rest of Lanayru's greenery.

The Hero was wise however and remembered an alternative to planting it in Lanayru desert. Taking the sapling for the tree from the dragon, he reopened the Gate of Time and travelled back through it to plant the sapling in the past temple, where it would not be worried by the climate and could prosper. Therefore when he traveled back to the present, the fruit would be ready to be collected from the fully grown tree. The tree itself would reside in the Sealed Temple until the First Hyrulian Civil War, when the sage Rauru would move it's only surviving sapling into the Sacred Realm where it would stay safe (except in the Downfall Timeline where it was destroyed by Ganon). With the Life Fruit in hand, the Hero returned to the desert and was presented with the third part of the Song of the Hero by the grateful dragon. He also presented the Hero with the Hylian Shield, an indestructible piece of equipment that could reflect any attack (which was sadly lost during the first attack by Vaati) after a small challenge.

After a trip to Levias to collect the final part of the Somg of the Hero, Link activated the Trial Gate within Skyloft and passed through to the Silent Realm. This trial proved to be notoriously difficult compared to either of the others, even the volcanic Trial of Din due to the lack of possible escape routes and perhaps even more so; the uncomfortable familiarity to the Hero. This was after all, where he had been born and had grown up so to see it corrupted constantly squeezed at his heart. But as always, the Hero succeeded and retrieved the key to the Triforce's resting place - the Sky Keep, buried in the island of the Statue of the Goddess all along.

The Goddess's final trial for the Hero was based on a multitude of temples and locales from the fallen surface world, each containing their own fiendish traps and monsters who had been imprisoned in the Keep long ago. The Hero was forced to dodge lava, cursed water, pits of sinksand, archers and dozens of other dangers. The temple also required that the hero move its rooms around, through use of an ancient gear system connected to podiums scattered throughout the complex. Each part of the Triforce was sealed in its own area and through a portal into the Silent Realm (a secondary defence of the artifact in case Demise had managed to break free too early). Only once Link had collected all of the pieces did the realm revert to its true form - the Sacred Realm - and transport the Hero to where he finally needed to go. On top of the Statue of the Goddess, Link wished for the eradication of Demise - becoming the first person in history to use the full power of the Triforce...

And the Statue plummeted from the heavens. Bursting through the cloud barrier, it descended straight into its original location - namely the Sealed Grounds - and crushed Demise under the full weight of the island and the power of the Triforce. The Demon King did not stand a chance, being destroyed in an instant. As a side effect, most of the Groosenator was destroyed and the cloud barrier separating Skyloft from the Surface was devastated. The Barrier itself would begin to completely disintegrate shortly after the Statue's descent, with it vanishing completely twenty years after Demise's Death.

But none of that mattered for the Hero just now. For, with Demise finally gone he could release Zelda from her crystal and finally, finally reunite with her. Or at least that was what he thought until Ghirahim intervened. Kidnapping the woozy girl, the Demon Lord flung aside Link, Groose and both Impas to flee through the open Gate of Time and resurrect his master in the past, where the Triforce's influence had not reached. Or perhaps it had, as the Hero fuelled by rage ran after him. Ghirahim summoned an army of his remaining servants to fight off the Hero and buy him time, but not a single one of the enemies amounted to anything. Bokoblins, Moblins and Stalfos alike were flung aside by the charge of the Hero; Skyward Strikes cleaving through their flesh like a knife through the air. Perhaps it took Link two minutes to fight his way through the army. Likely less.

Faced with the danger of being thwarted at the worst possible time, Ghirahim engaged Link himself in a final confrontation; switching his form into his true shape, that of Demise's sword spirit - counterpart to Fi. He did not stop the Hero either. Faced with the reborn wrath of the First Hero, the Demon Lord could not provide a challenge. His conjured daggers bounced off Link's shield, his enchanted weapons broke under the might of the True Master Sword. Blow after merciless blow brought the sword spirit to his knees.

But it was too late.

The Demon King emerged from his seal and consumed the soul of Hylia from within Zelda, gorging on the divine power within. And with this power, he himself cast aside his seal and resumed his true fluctuating form. To the Hero of Legend he appeared as a flaming haired swordsman, unconsciously reflecting the form of Ganondorf thousands of years later. To Groose (who had caught the falling Zelda from where Demise had cast him aside) he assumed the form of a monstrous bat with glowing gold eyes. To Impa, he assumed the form of her own father; but twisted and garbed in a corrupted version of the Shiekah armour. The fear they all felt did not stop the Hero from drawing his sword in challenge.

The Demon King was amused with the Hero's defiance. All other humans he had met had cowered before him, but Link stood firm and only looked upon him with rage. And so in a twisted mockery of honour (and to give him time to fully absorb Zelda's soul), Demise created a separate dimension for him and the Hero to do battle in. The Hero of course, followed with nary a word. Not much is known about their duel, only that at its conclusion the Hero of Legend was gravely wounded with multiple scars and two missing fingers on his right hand (which would force him to adapt a left handed fighting style in later life). The Demon King however, had fared much worse with his body being pierced by the Master Sword and his soul absorbed. The transformed Ghirahim (who had been forced to assume his sword form for the final battle) vanished forever.

And praising Link for his courage and power, the Demon King spoke his final words:

 _"Though this is not the end. My hate... never perishes. It is born anew in a cycle with no end! I will rise again. Those like you... Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero... They are eternally bound to this curse. An incarnation of my hatred shall ever follow your kind, dooming them to wander a blood-soaked sea of darkness for all time!"_

The Ancient Battle had been concluded. The time of Hyrule had begun. But a curse had also been laid, one that would shape the future of the world...

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

GROOSE OR RIOT!

...ahem. Groose's descendents being wardens of Snowpeak is a reference to the Snowpeak Ruins from Twilight Princess. And Groose being awesome, of course.

The Great Plague is my own creation, taking place approximately 50 years prior to Twilight Princess. I'll get into the full story later.

Bomb Flowers are from the North of Hyrule due to them being most common around Death Mountain (which is in the north) in previous games.

The Destruction of the Gate of Time explains why it never reappeared in later games. Also it just seems like the sensible option when a Demon King is involved.

My interpretation of Hylia's plan is a nod to the fact that the Triforce requires a pure heart to use it.

Wind Fish is Link's Awakening, Oshus is Phantom Hourglass.

The Explanation for the corruption of the Thunderhead is to get by the question of how Bilocyte got through the Cloud Barrier.

The Song of the Hero is the main theme of course. What else would it be?

I've deliberately failed to mention the stealth section in Eldin Volcano as I imagine Link would not want to recount how he was captured by Bokoblins.

The first Hyrulian Civil War is not the one from Ocarina of Time, but from a time between the founding of Hyrule and the time of the Hero of Men. It originates partly from Hyrule Historia. Ganon's destruction of the tree is a nod to the Dark Word from LTTP.

The Hyrulian Shield vanishes to explain why it never turns up again. Pity.

The Sky Keep monsters are prisoners to get around why they are in the Sky in the first place.

The Silent Realm being the Sacred Realm is a common theory. We'll get into this more later.

The Cloud Barrier collapsing is so that the Hylians can come down to the surface and how the Loftwings got down in Skyward Sword's final cutscene.

Denise's alternate forms are intended to reference: Ganondorf as noted (this is his in game appearance), Vaati and the Yiga Clan from Breath of the Wild.

This Link did end up left-handed! Mwahahahahaha...

Ghirahim is unlikely to show up again, but I've left it as a possibility just in case.

I didn't immediately announce Ganondorf as Demise's sort of reincarnation, but don't worry - he is.


	9. The Founding of Hyrule

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Founding of Hyrule**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

At the conclusion of the Goddess Hylia's quest, the sentient races of Hyrule (excluding demons and Lizalfos) were few in number and scattered throughout the land. The inhabitants of Skyloft numbered slightly more than 250 in total (including the outer islands) which combined with the few scattered hamlets across the land (primarily Horon Village in the future Holodrum and the Lokomo Tribe in the future New Hyrule) made up a Hylian population of around 600. Considering their numbers, it is alarming to note that the other races were far worse off.

The Ancient Robots were already long extinct with the exception of Scrapper (who would endure until at least the events of the Great Flood/Great Calamity/Invasion of Lorule depending on the timeline). The Mogmas numbered roughly 180 in total and would suffer from the effects of inbreeding in the coming centuries, eventually degenerating into the only semi-sentient Acro Bandits. The Kiwki would vanish soon after the descent of the Hylians, to retreat into the deep woods and forests. It is unknown what truly happened to them afterwards, though the Royal Family archives purport that they would eventually become the Kokiri. The Parella would survive under the water dragon's protection well into the Era of the Four Sword, but would sadly be driven extinct by the expansion of the Zora prior to the Second Hyrulian Civil War. The depressing truth is that in the present day, little is left of these ancient races or their centuries of struggle against the demonic hordes. Only a few surviving drawings and notes remain, chief among them the reproduced paintings created by Groose and the carved models made by the Hero of Legend.

There is one of the ancient races that has endured in strength to the present day however. The Goron tribe from the far south had uniquely survived the Ancient Battle in large numbers and would slowly begin a migration into the waking kingdom proper. The first Goron City would be founded on Mount Lanayru, though their future capital on Eldin Volcano would begin construction thirty-five years after Demise's death in the ruins of the Earth Temple. In the meantime, craftsmen and travellers spread across the land in search of new discoveries (and new types of edible rock). Interaction with the growing Hylian population would be positive, with Goron Ale beginning its rise to prominence in this era along with songs and dances of the far south. Rumour also states that the Megaton Hammer came to Hyrule in this era, though conflicting accounts state that it was discovered already made in the caverns of the Earth Temple (the Hero's accounts say nothing on the subject).

The Hylian people in turn prospered on the newly discovered surface. Many inhabitants of the Sky chose to settle in the growing town built around the fallen Statue of the Goddess; among them Headmaster Gaepora (his position as head of the Knight Academy being passed onto an instructor called Orwell), the Hero of Legend and the first Zelda. The latter two would marry approximately a year after their descent and their first child - a girl named Karane - would be born several months later. Much of this town's early history would be spent dealing with Bokoblin raids (put down easily by the Hero) and discovering resources - and the old buried paths to said resources. A few artifacts and documents were discovered about the land before the Great Battle as well, all of which were diligently cleaned or copied. These records included notes on the Timeshift stones and the buried Shiekah technology among their number. Stone walls would be raised about fifteen years into the settlement's history, encircling a town of roughly eight houses that would nonetheless one day become the original Hyrule Castle Town.

But it was not all a happy existence for those who had chosen to descend to the surface. Both Lady Impa and the Spirit Fi would depart the world shortly after the Demon King's death, the former vanishing into death herself and the latter drifting into an endless sleep inside the Master Sword. The Sword Spirit would rouse herself from her slumber a few times, but throughout most of the ages she would sleep as time passed her by. Her role in the coming of Hyrule would never be forgotten though and her image would inspire ten of thousands of men and women in the coming millennia. Many a statue would be made of her or a place named after her, such as the Village of the Blue Maiden and the name would experience consistent popularity as a middle name for Hylian children. Impa would become the most popular name for a Shiekah girl, with many a guardian of a young prince or princess of Hyrule bearing the name. A garden of ancient flowers would also be built by Link and Zelda in memory of both of them, in the small clearing where Zelda had herself slept in a crystal for centuries.

The relationship between the Surface settlement and the town of Skyloft would also prove to be an issue. While the two towns shared a close relationship, the constant ferrying back and forth of supplies proved wearing on the townsfolk and their giant birds who were not built for constant lifting. The Knight Academy was also stretched to breaking point by the need to guard both domains, with at least fifteen soldiers giving their lives to turn back monstrous hordes. While most monsters had vanished from Skyloft itself thanks to the Hero, the rest of the Sky had not been so lucky. Undoubtedly the worst of these fights was a brief invasion of the several islands in the Sky by the creatures known as Aeralfos, airborne relatives of the northern Lizalfos genus. The lizards had been driven south from the Hebra/Snowpeak region due to the encroachment of winter.

These attacks would be the final reason behind the Hero's decision to found an academy for knights on the Surface. Named the 'Academy of the Knights of Hyrule' after the town (named for a vision of Headmaster Gaepora on his deathbed), the near unanimous support for the unofficial leader of the town was not echoed in Skyloft itself. For centuries there had been an unofficial agreement that only the Knights is Skyloft were allowed to bear arms, an pact that had now been broken by a former Knight of Skyloft no less. Some felt the Hero was overreaching his authority and that of his wife's, regardless of her connection to the Goddess (Zelda's status as Hylia's actual reincarnation was a closely kept secret). Some felt that the town of Hyrule was taking too much power and beginning to eclipse the town of Skyloft. But none of these issues would prove the final stepping stone to conflict. After all, many settlers on the Surface were Skyloftian born and bred and all those in power remembered the days when the two peoples were as one. Why would they consider warring against their brethren? The Loftwings still flew from one settlement to another.

But peace did not last forever. In the end it was three events that signaled the drums of war. The first was the death of the Hero, sixty years after Demise's own death and the raising of his daughter Karane to the position of mayor. The second was the first encounters with the surviving Skeikah tribe of Kakariko Village in the plains to the south of Eldin Volcano. With these encounters, new trade and produce flooded into Hyrule - but only Hyrule. And the third was a massive eruption of Death Mountain and the arrival of an ancient threat.

The Great Scourge Volvagia had arrived.

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

I've expanded numbers for Skyloft slightly (I think) as I wanted to avoid the dangerous inbreeding threshold.

Horon Village is from Oracle of Seasons, Lokomo from Spirit Tracks.

Great Flood is the backstory to Wind Waker, Great Calamity the backstory to Breath of the Wild. Invasion of Lorule is a Link between Worlds.

Acro Bandits are enemies from Minish Cap as I've said before. The future is not bright for the Mogmas...

The origin on the Kokiri will be expanded upon in a future chapter. The Kikwi becoming them is my pet theory, though Hyrule Encyclopaedia says otherwise.

The Parella got given a small pass to survive for as long as I suggest, but as with all the other Skyward Sword races they have to go extinct eventually.

Mount Lanayru is from Breath of the Wild, where it is in the east. No, I don't know why either.

The Goron City on Eldin Volcano and the Megaton Hammer are both from Ocarina of Time.

Orwell is a teacher from Skyward Sword, Link and Zelda's kid is named after a classmate.

Buried Shiekah technology is a nod to Breath of the Wild.

Village of the Blue Maiden is from Four Swords Adventures. The Ancient Flowers are the reason for Scrapper's continued survival and are a material from Skyward Sword.

Aeralfos are from Twilight Princess as is Snowpeak. Hebra comes from Breath of the Wild.

Yes, Kakariko comes from before the time of Skyward Sword. You wouldn't believe the amount of shit that place has been through...

Volvagia is from Ocarina of Time.


	10. The Fury of Volvagia

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Fury of Volvagia**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

With the arrival of the Fire Dragon Volvagia, the surface was once more plunged into chaos. The hopes and dreams of both the Hylian people and the Goron tribes were smothered in ash, as the relentless scourge flew across the land leaving death in its wake. Both the town of Hyrule and the newly encountered village of Kakariko suffered repeated nighttime raids, the dragon giving no warning before it swooped down to carry out its infernal desires. Many homes and buildlings were destroyed in these attacks, including the rebuilt Temple of Hylia when the dragon caved in it's walls. The Goron Cities were spared the attacks from above, since they were always built underground during this era (it would take the coming of the Lord of Fire for them to do otherwise) but suffered still as the dragon repeatedly tried to force its way inside by any means possible. None could harm it by sword, bow or bomb; this is indisputably shown by the fate of the Goron City on Mount Lanayru when the scourge turned the caverns above the city into molten rock and drowned the Gorons alive. A death toll for all races is difficult to estimate due to weak records, but the diaries of Zelda and her daughter Karane speak of overfilled graveyards and an all-encroaching scent of death.

Perhaps if there had been a hero of the era, Volvalgia might have been easily defeated. But the previous Hero had passed away mere months before and for now his bloodline only resided in an already middle-aged woman and a five year old child. None the less, Karane the mayor of Hyrule began preparations to bring the creature down. In the secret caverns of the former Sky Keep - underground and therefore out of Volvagia's reach - she ordered the construction of a multitude of catapults and other siege weapons based on the blueprints of Groose (who himself had passed away 2 years before the Hero). Also prepared was a vast variety of ammunition for the weapons, ranging from simple rocks to bombs to in one case, a scavenged Timeshift Stone from Lanaryu Desert. Though they did not have much technology to spur their progress, or indeed a large understanding of the technology they did have; their need was great and that sped them through a number of discoveries. The beginnings of the modern practice of packing the explosive part of a Bomb Flower (nicknamed Black Powder) inside of an artificial shell began here, though it would take several centuries until the Hylians discovered how to make artificial Black Powder. Indirectly this also led to the Triforce becoming semi-common knowledge among the surface settlers, though the first Zelda refused to truly reveal what the artifact was.

So it came to pass that when Volvagia appeared to burn the town of Hyrule again, the Hylians were ready. But despite great bravery and daring, their bombs did not succeed in killing the dragon, only driving it off for a time (which was nonetheless a victory and presumably saved many a life). The leaders of the town feared they had only angered the scourge and so continued to speed through production of weapons. They may have been right as the dragon was spotted circling the town from afar and would attack any groups which lead the safety of Hyrule's walls. Karane and the other leaders of the town were faced with the alarming realization that they were effectively trapped within their own town, cut off from help - or food as the dragon had destroyed all their crops and would happily munch on Loftwings and their riders. The Hero's own Loftwing died this way when Link's daughter attempted to fly it to Skyloft for help, only to be attacked by the dragon in an attack that left her crippled for the rest of her life. Slowly but surely, the Hylians began to starve.

Kakariko Village both had a worse and an easier time of the dragon's wrath during this period. The village itself was burnt to the ground for the first of many a time in its history (see the Second Hyrulian Civil War, the Era of the Hero of Time, the Lord of Fire, the Breaking of the Four Sword and the Great Calamity) but much of the population escaped into the caves close to the village or into the Goron City on Eldin Volcano - where the friendly tribe was only too happy to receive them. The Shiekah would regularly fire upon the beast with arrows as it travelled around looking for prey, though their attacks only ever managed to be an annoyance for the beast. The closest the Sheikah would ever get to slaying the beast was when a girl named Impa (after the guardian of the Sealed Temple) snuck over to the beast when it was sleeping and sliced off one of it's horns. She got nearly incinerated for her attempt by the dragon and was grounded by her parents. The dragon would make multiple attempts to seek out the girl to gain revenge, only to be driven off once again when the girl snuck up and cut off its other horn.

The people who suffered the most from the dragon's rampage however were undoubtedly the Goron Tribe themselves. The dragon had made it's home in the crater of Eldin Volcano and considered the Goron's presence there to be a great insult - even after destroying the other city on Mount Lanayru. It would regularly take a Goron who had dared to leave the city and carry them to it's lair to eat over a period of days. Many a theorist has proposed a relation between the two species because of this, as the dragon was never known to attempt to consume anyone of another species - a theory supported by its behavior when it was resurrected by Ganondorf. The connection between the two has also influenced a massive amount of Goron culture, with the icon of the dragon taking on an almost heretical role in Goron society - even moreso than the Demon Lords themselves. It did retain however the traditional opposition to the Golden Goddesses, particularly Din who the Gorons revere highly as their creator (often called the Mountain Goddess). The creature was despised by the Gorons and it in turn despised them enough to bring ruin upon their once prosperous species. But the Gorons are no cowards and were plotting their own battle against the dragon as it continued its assault on the Surface.

The Hylians in Skyloft knew nothing of any of this. They knew something was up as no Loftwings had travelled to and from the Surface in several months, but of the Dragon they had no knowledge or of the massacres taking place on the land below. It was accepted that some great misfortune had befallen the settlers of Hyrule and in truth many of them regarded that prospect as a punishment from the Goddesses for the Hero's pride. But they did not allow their minds to rest on the matter, for surely nothing would harm them in the Sky? Even with the Cloud Barrier gone and even after the Aeralfos invasion, nothing would be able to attack Skyloft itself?

This belief was shattered when Volvagia annihilated the Knight Academy and the town's bazaar in a single afternoon, roaring down from behind a cloud to bring flame and death. Most of the actual knights were killed in this single confrontation (records indicate that either 2 or 3 knights survived and 1 student), along with their instructors and teaching resources. The loss of the bazaar also crippled Skyloft's economy, even with the survival of the small market that had sprung up in the central plaza (primarily for trade with the surface. The death toll was staggering for the small community - estimated casualties are 40+ - with only the Loftwings escaping devastation due to their roosting island being unknown to the Dragon. In effect the community was not only defenceless in practice now but in spirit as well, for any suggestion of invulnerability had been swept away. The land in the Sky had always been the refuge for the Hylians, their sacred land protected from the demons and monsters of the surface. But now that idea was gone, destroyed by dragonfire and death.

Attacking the island would prove a costly mistake for Volvagia itself, however. By invading the peaceful Sky it had angered the great Sky Spirit Levias - by now recovered from the wounds inflicted by Bilocyte - who roused himself to put down this scourge. It would be a battle that rocked the foundations of the world and left neither of its combatants in good shape. They clashed over the burnt out husk of Kakariko as the Shiekah looked on, the thunder and lightning of the Sky Spirit competing with the fire of the dragon. The wisdom and age of the heavens against the fury and youth of the fires. Much of the surrounding landscape was distorted by the powerful magic of both the titans, as failed attacks missed their intended target only to smash into the hillside. In the end the dragon came away covered in scars and missing an arm. It would flee with speed back to its lair in the caldera of Eldin Volcano to lick its wounds. But Levias didn't fly away from the fight. The damage inflicted by the dragon was too great even for the Sky Spirit to handle and so with a great sigh this ally of the Goddess Hylia died. The place where he fell overlooking Kakariko Village would come to be called the Pillars of Levia, the site of many a temple over the ages.

But the dragon would not long outlive its most famous victim. As it fled back to Eldin Volcano, the patriarch of this tribe of Gorons - Baron, still revered centuries later as a God of War and the Hero of the Gorons - took up the Megaton Hammer and marched into the caldera to defeat it. Wounded as it was, the dragon still put up a monstrous fight though it was never able to lay a hand on the experienced warrior. It's fury would prove no match for his in the end and with a final blow of the hammer the dragon died, its body collapsing shortly into the nearby magma in front of the victorious Goron. The place where it fell would become revered by the Gorons, who would later construct a Temple to Din on the site (the place would be commonly known as the Fire Temple).

In time the scars of the dragon's rampage would heal. But the Hylians, the Shiekah and the Gorons had known loss now and they would never forget it...

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

The Temple of Hylia was destroyed (more or less) by Volvagia in this chapter so Rauru can later rebuild it as the Temple of Time as per Hyrule Historia.

Lanayru City is destroyed like this to make sure that no signs of it are left for when they might complicate things.

In this chapter we see the beginnings of the artificial bombs of later Zeldas, and the reason Bomb Flowers fell out of favour. We also see the beginnings of cannons here, though they won't become important for a long time.

The deaths of more Skyward Sword characters. Had to be done, no matter how sad it is.

Here's the start of my explanation for the Loftwings vanishing, the next part will come next chapter.

Why does Kakariko Village look so different every time? Because people won't stop setting it on fire.

We see the first hints at the friendship between Kakariko and the Gorons here, this will be important later (which I appear to be saying a lot...).

Mini Impa! Just as badass as big Impa!

The Mountain Goddess title comes from somewhere, though I'm not sure where exactly.

The reference to a hidden Loftwing roost is a nod to a piece of artwork from Hyrule Historia of a concept Loftwing island.

Pillars of Levia are from Breath of the Wild.

Baron (the name) is from one of Tingle's games which technically isn't canon but, meh...

Fire Temple is from Ocarina of Time.

 **A note on Pairings:**

In several places in the this timeline, it's likely I am going to have to mention who exactly the respective heroes ended up with. This will not always be the most popular choice, but I will try to pick the one that works best for the sake of the timeline. If this happens to upset you, I'm sorry.


	11. The Descendents of the Hero

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Descendents of the Hero**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

The scars of Volvagia's rampage had sunk deep into the heart of the recovering Surface. Skyloft and Kakariko Village were in ruins, Lanayru City had ceased to exist, Hyrule Town had lost great swathes of land and Eldin City had barely hung on against the dragon's wrath. Much of Faron Woods had been set ablaze and Eldin Volcano had grown more violent than ever (it was no coincidence that around this time it's modern title of Death Mountain would begin to gain prominence). The only areas that had been spared in the inferno were the eastern ocean and the desert, for obvious reasons (Volvagia couldn't find anything to burn in either of them). All the races had suffered: Hylian, Shiekah, Goron - even the Mogmas and Kikwi had not escaped harm according to the few records written as they devolved and vanished respectively.

But the races had managed to survive and now knew for certain that the death of Demise had not been the end of the great dangers of the Surface (excluding Bokoblin raids, though those had effectively ceased when the demons didn't prove immune to the dragon's bloodlust). This knowledge, this truth that if they did not prepare one day a force would come to once again attempt to wipe them out fuelled what the Hylians did next. They expanded. Before the calamity they had been content to assert their influence over the former Sealed Grounds and a few fields set aside for crops. Now they began to gather more territory for themselves, taking back the world for civilisation after the centuries of wildness and demonic control. The spearheads of this movement would be first the Hero of Legend's daughter Karane and when she died from complications in childbirth, his grandson Pipit (the first Zelda is recorded as passing away a day after her daughter). These icons of the Hylian race led the great deforestation that would form Hyrule Field, founded the ranches and inns that would become small hamlets in their own right, rediscovered the races of cow, horse and cucco to build this new kingdom upon. Pipit himself would begin many a fort to protect against the wilderness, including what would later become the first Hyrule Castle to the north of the town.

New technologies also flooded into the kingdom at an unbelievable rate. Bows became commonplace among the guardsmen, bombs rose to prominence for demolition and mining (Eldin Ore purchased from the Gorons would begin to lose its monopoly as a building material, though it remained highly fashionable) and Gust Jars - reverse engineered from the Hero's Gust Bellows - grew in popularity as a simple way to get rid of dust and vermin. Spears became popular as a longer range weapon for guardsmen (the first designs based upon Moblin weaponry), scythes were invented to make farming easier and armour began to be more commonplace - most adult males would now possess cheap chainmail while before only knights and guards would possess a set. The Hero's own set of plate armour found in the Sealed Temple along with most of his equipment was passed down his and Zelda's line.

Mining, smithery and carpentry also rose to challenge farming for the position of most popular career for the Hylian people, due to new resources being in constant demand for building, rebuilding and repairing the onslaught of new structures. Twice Hyrule had to expand to allow the settlement of new houses, the latter time requiring the diverting of a river through the western edge of the town. The expansion also required the founding of a third Knight Academy, created for the principal purpose of defending caravans moving from one region to another (this would eventually evolve into the Explorers Guild and would survive until Ganondorf's sack of Hyrule Castle Town). The realm of the Hylians grew with every day that passed, until the day came when it was obvious that this was no longer the town of Hyrule, but the land of Hyrule! A land of knights and justice, an icon against the savagery of the rest of the Surface. Trade flourished and the worshippers of the Goddesses rediscovered their ancient homes. Gambling also grew in popularity, using both rupees and kinstones (though the latter would take off better with kids than adults). Several Hylians even wished to move to the town of Kakariko, though they were refused for at that time the Shiekah preferred to keep their own company.

However, the descendents of the Hero (for in time Pipit was joined by his own son Cawlin and a daughter named after his mother) had another reason behind the great expansion - the protection of the artifact left behind by the Golden Goddesses: the Triforce. Originally placed in the Temple of Hylia for protection by the trio of Link, Zelda and Groose; the artefact had required moving after the Temple was destroyed in Volvagia's rampage and so was temporarily housed in the underground Sky Keep to keep it out of unfriendly hands. It's movement however, had brought it to the attention of the local populace and though an unknown source they discovered what it truly was - and what it could do. Many would ask for permission to use the artefact to solve their problems; only to be refused every time as the Mayor and his family considered it too dangerous to use. If a wish went wrong, it could have ended in the destruction of Hylian Civilisation or worse. Several citizens of Hyrule were executed for still attempting to cast a wish however and with the threat of more trying, Mayor Pipit moved the artifact to a secret location where it was hoped it would be safe. But while the attempts to seize the Triforce immediately ceased, the inhabitants would not forget its existence and resentment for the Mayor's apparent hoarding of the artefact began to grow.

And there was another great issue for the Hylians of the Surface to cope with: the absence of the Loftwings. Since the time the Hylians came down to the Surface, less and less of the magnificent birds had been seen. The bond once unbreakable between man and bird grew weak as the people's readapted to life on the Surface, as their minds turned from cloud and wind to land and dirt. Without the separate islands the Hylians could simply walk to their destination, without the need to board their birds. And combined with the birds killed by Volvagia and the ones that fell to pathogens that they had no immunity to (the Hylians had better luck due to their ancestors having to fight the same diseases) the relationship began to collapse. The Hylians did not realise this for a long time, truth be told. A bird would still present themselves to a rider on their tenth birthday and the Knights of Hyrule still celebrated the Wing Ceremony as the last trial for knighthood after all.

But then there came a day when a bird didn't present itself for a child on their birthday. At first the townspeople thought there had been a mistake; maybe the Loftwing was ill? Maybe it had got lost? Some even questioned if the boy was really ten to the annoyance of both parents. But then another child didn't receive a bird companion. And another. And another. Until the unlucky Surface-folk realised that no new birds were coming down. Naturally they panicked. Search parties were immediately sent into the Sky to look for the missing Loftwings, filled with both knights and villagers of all ages. A scouting mission, the like of which would never be seen again in the history of the world. The adventurers were given blessings by the High Sage of Hylia herself (for in that era the religion was much more formalised than it would eventually become in any timeline), granted the finest weaponry and armour from the forges of Hyrule Town itself - and they found nothing.

Well, that is a slight exaggeration. They found Skyloft easily, the Hylians easily guiding their bird companions with ease natural for the people of that time. But the floating island itself was utterly, entirely devoid of life. There were no signs of a struggle, indeed it didn't appear that any of the Skyloftians had packed to leave - potions were still found half-cooked in cauldrons, food half-eaten on tables. Clothes were found on a rack, as if their occupant had just entered the bath - also freshly drawn. Flowers were discovered laid before the small Goddess Statue built in the Skyloft Plaza (constructed to replace the one that had fallen to the Surface). But no people were found to be using these things. No families sat having dinner, no Remlits scrounging for food, no Loftwings reclining on a roof...only silence. Naturally that brought an immediate end to the investigation, as the explorers were too frightened of suffering the same fate as Skyloft to continue.

In economic terms, the vanishing of the population of Skyloft (and effectively the loss of any income from that sector as the island was never resettled, though much of the island's resources were scavenged) had little effect on the domain of Hyrule. In political terms it was another matter entirely. The Hylian people looked for someone to blame, for far too many of them had lost family or friends on Skyloft. The ancient home of the Hylian people had been defiled and so much lost as consequence (though the Remlit species survived for a while longer thanks to a few that came down with the Goddess Statue or were brought as pets). Much of the time this anger was directed at the Demonic hordes and historians agree that they were the most likely candidates, though how they wiped out Skyloft was another matter. Others suggested a magical backlash caused by the death of Levias. Others still suggested that there had been a disease of some kind - though that did not explain where the bodies had gone.

All too often though they found another target for their anger and grief - the mayor's family, the descendants of the Hero. And the protectors of the Triforce, that artifact able to grant any wish of its owner. In usual times no one would have suspected this family, so tied to Hyrule's growth and prosperity. But these were not usual times and the Mayor had done an excellent job of isolating himself and his family from the Hyrulian populace. Not only had he refused them access to the Triforce (to prevent it being misused), but he had moved his family to an outside fort (to oversee said artefact) and increased their guard (for the same reasons). Alone this seemed reasonable, but combined many of the more paranoid townsfolk began to wonder if he wasn't taking too much power for his own. There had never been a mayor of Hyrule not descended from the Hero to this date after all and Pipit seemed to be grooming his own son to succeed him in governing the town. And then rumours emerged that the Mayor himself was responsible for the loss of the Skyloftians, by casting a wish on the Triforce to kill them all to prevent a future war. These rumours have been deemed unlikely by all generations that came after, but among the grief stricken off this era they spread with alarming rapidity.

On the whole though, the Hero's descendents were still very popular among the Hylian people for their role in the rise of the race's power. So the insurgents stayed silent and plotted, aware that any attempt to depose the family would need a greater spark to set the bornfire alight. 10 years more passed, then 20. The land continued to flourish even as the Loftwings became a rarer and rarer sight in the sky. Relations with the Gorons improved, to the point where Pipit's son and successor Cawlin was granted the title of Sworn Brother by the Goron patriarch Coro. The northeastern area of the land suffered raids from the degenerated Mogmas, now truly bereft of reason or mercy. The Kilwi vanished entirely into the woods never to be seen again. And then a spark was lit when the High Sage of Hylia was cut down in front of his horrified apprentice.

War had come to Hyrule. A war often titled the First Hyrulian Civil War, but more commonly known as the War of the First Sage. The Era of the Sky had ended. The Era of Chaos had come.

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

Eldin Volcano begins to gain its later title (Death Mountain) here as we head towards Ocarina of Time. The mountain doesn't appear in Minish Cap so it could be suggested I'm doing this too early, but in all honesty Volvagia seems a decent reason to call it that.

Now we see the true birth of Hyrule as a region rather than as a town so that the Civil War will make sense.

Hyrule Field! The Future Lon Lon Ranch! Cuccos! (May Hylia have mercy on our souls). And no, the latter aren't actually demons that came with Demise. Probably.

Hyrule Castle is founded here, though it won't become the seat of the Royal Family for a short while.

Eldin Ore is a material from Skyward Sword.

The Gust Jar is from the Minish Cap and the Gust Bellows are their expy from Skyward Sword so it made sense to have the two be linked.

The river is from the Minish Cap.

The sack of Hyrule Castle Town comes from Ocarina of Time.

Kinstones are a set of strange objects from the Minish Cap.

Impa apparently only recently opened Kakariko to Hylians before Ocarina of Time so this is a reference to that.

The Loftwings vanish. Did they evolve into the oocoo? Maybe...

Skyloft is wiped clean of life. This a fact I debated on for a long time, with an alternate plan being that they were the opposing side in the first Civil War. But I eventually stuck with this idea, as I doubt Skyloft has the manpower to be a big threat. That being said, the theory about the Mayor being responsible...


	12. The First Sage

**The Story of Hyrule  
The First Sage**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

To understand the first Hylian Civil War, we must first travel back seventy years earlier to explore the life of one of its key figures: Rauru, First Sage of Hyrule and Guardian of the Triforce. A descendent of the Hero of Legend through his second child Groose (named for his close friend), Rauru had at a young age been apprenticed to the Sages of Hylia (an order established by the first Zelda to look after the various temples and shrines) after his parents were killed during Volvagia's attack on Hyrule Town. From there he would rise to the top of the order's ranks, second only to the High Sage of Hyrule himself. By all accounts Rauru was dedicated to his work and highly proficient in the magical arts passed down from Zelda and the few Sheikah travellers willing to instruct the Hylians. As second in command of his order he had also been briefed on the true secret of the Triforce and the need for a better protection for it.

Without other events, it is likely that Rauru would have progressed to the leadership of the sages in due course and governed there until his own death or retirement. However fate had other ideas and before the Sage's own eyes his master was hacked to death by rebels, signalling the start of the First Hyrulian Civil War. The rebels were inhabitants of the border towns of Hyrule, far enough away from the capital that the angry propaganda about Skyloft's fate had gained heavy traction. The actual identity of the villages responsible is contentious to this day, as propaganda has retroactively identified them as Ordon (a town that wouldn't be founded for over a millennium), Kakariko (deemed unlikely as there is no evidence of any sort of conflict) and several other locations that wouldn't emerge for centuries. Most evidence suggests that they were located in the west, likely due to that location benefiting the least from the Hylian-Sheikah-Goron trade routes.

Regardless of the true origin of the rebels, the murder would shock Hyrulian society and the resulting scramble for answers would lend the rebellion enough time to formalise itself. Their names of their leaders have been deliberately struck from the record, though some surviving documents suggest that they had names similar to Kina, Ichiro and Shiro (popular names of the period, though they would fall out of fashion in the eras after the birth of Ganondorf). There were definitely three of them, that at least is confirmed as they styled their council after the 'misused' artifact of the Goddesses - the Triforce. The three of them threatened war unless said artifact was handed over "to the free peoples of Hylia" and the descendants of Link stripped of their 'undeserved titles'. And as a show of force they annihilated three small hamlets between their own village and Hyrule Town, falling upon them with sword and torch.

History tells us this was a mistake, though the strategic value behind destroying the outermost defences of Hyrule Town cannot be denied. But the premature attacks hardened the hearts of the common people against the rebels and turned they themselves into the scapegoats they had hoped to make out of the Mayor's family. Without this action things might have been different as the Mayor of Hyrule of that time (named Cawlin) was a notoriously weak and fearful man, considered a bit of embarrassment for the town and a disappointment compared to others in his line. His daughter Zelda (the second to bear the legendary name) was comparatively much more popular and beloved, but was limited in what she could affect by the fact that at that time the post of Mayor was for life. Nonetheless, after this despised action the citizens of Hyrule would have rallied behind a simpleton so Mayor Cawlin had an easy time recruiting the Knights of Hyrule to his side; along with a sizeable number of ordinary townsfolk who enrolled as guards to protect the town from a siege.

They would prove to be sorely needed as once again the rebels had not been idle. While the Mayor had been recruiting forces from Hyrule Town itself as well as the territories to the north and east; the rebels had been doing the same with villages of their native west and the south. They also reached out to the Gorons for aid - only to be soundly rebuffed when the Death Mountain tribe declared itself allies of their opponents. Five of the rock tribe had been murdered in the sacks carried out by the rebellion and the Goron Patriarch Coro made clear his intent to seek retribution for their deaths. In total the numbers for both sides (discounting civilians of course) were around 400 for the Rebels and 700 for the Loyalists - though the latter had a force of 50 armoured Gorons inbound from Death Mountain. As the reader can see therefore the Loyalists had a clear advantage in numbers, though not to the extent that they could crush the rebellion with ease. They also arguably had a much better class of soldier with almost all of the knights staying loyal to the mayor.

With these odds it is understandable why it was the Loyalists who made the first move. Under the command of Zelda (in place of her father) and Rauru (who had called up his brethren to support the ranks of the militia with magic), the Hylian army advanced on the central territory of the rebels with the aim to divide their forces in half and hopefully catch the rebel leaders flatfooted. They both succeeded and failed at these aims. A significant portion of the men - around 80-100 in number - were caught on the wrong side of the main army and after taking heavy losses attempting to assault a village surrendered to a group of 60 men (and five knights) sent to defeat them. The home village of the rebellion also fell very quickly to the armies of Hyrule, with barely ten men dying to break through the wooden fences and capture one of the three rebel leaders (who was immediately executed without trial).

But as for the rest of the rebellion, no sign could be found. No documents were discovered to hint at where the missing 250 had vanished off to, no prisoners were able to reveal the information - even under torture. And so the army of Hyrule was faced with the alarming realisation that they had no idea where the enemy army was.

After the initial panic, the Loyalists acted with impressive speed and decisiveness. Scouts were released throughout the Hylian lands to look for the telltale clues of marching, along with several horsemen charged with heading back to Hyrule Town with all speed to warn of a possible siege. 200 men of the army would follow them there, while three sets of 100 would search out the Hylian lands to the southeast, the Hylian lands to the north and the western lands beyond Hyrule's territory (including Lanayru Desert) for the missing troops. The last 200 would stay in the occupied territory to prevent a second uprising. Rauru and Zelda were among none of the groups however as the former had received a dream (which the Sage insisted was a warning) of an attempt to steal the Triforce. The two of them knew that the artifact was hidden in the Mayor's Castle to the north of Hyrule Town and hastened to ride there, knowing full well that if the Triforce fell to their enemies it would all be over for their side.

The rebels knew this as well (though how they discovered the location is still debated to this day though it is possible a defecting Knight knew the secret) and so for the same reasons were making their way north to the castle, followed eventually by one of the groups of 100 when they had discovered the trail. It was by pure luck the two riders made it to the castle first, literally by a few hours in which the garrison of 53 prepared the fortress for a siege. Apparently the actual Mayor Cawlin suffered a nervous breakdown upon realising the danger, his last sane act being to grant his daughter complete control and to pass the knowledge about the other defences of the castle onto Rauru (with the whispered instruction to flee with the artifact if the castle fell). And then a few hours later the siege began in earnest. It was very fortunate for the Loyalists that the rebellion had little experience in the finer arts of warfare, otherwise the castle almost certainly would have fallen to the greater army. But thankfully the enemy did not and so threw away dozens of their men attempting to storm the heavily fortified battlements. Another of the rebel leaders died here, his blood staining the stone walls of the fortress.

After losing 80 men of their own, the rebels resolved to simply starve out the loyalist garrison; content that their greater numbers would win them victory in time. They still apparently suffered numerous desertions and the majority of the army was only kept around by their leader's threat to turn the Triforce on them first. Ironically said artifact was currently being used by Rauru to create more food for the castle garrison, though he had decided not to use it on the enemy to avoid more damaging comparisons to Skyloft. The siege would finally be shattered about a week later by the arrival of not only the 200 man army sent to Hyrule Town (and subsequently alerted by a scout), but the 50 strong Goron force who had followed them north - to call the resulting battle a massacre is a massive understatement. All in all, the rebellion lasted about three months and succeeded in doing nothing but improving the common perception of the descendents of the Hero.

That is not to say that it had no lasting impacts however. On the contrary, the effects of the First Hylian Civil War are large are far reaching; enough that they would take an entire book to go through in detail. They include the gradual depopulation of the western regions of Hyrule and the resulting rise of the future Wind Tribe in those areas; the beginning of a slow shift towards greater worship for the three Golden Goddesses compared to Hylia; the formation of an official Hyrulian army aside from the knights and guards (though the latter was gradually absorbed into the army) and the rise in Triforce iconography. The stress of the war also supposedly led directly to Mayor Cawlin dying to a fever, though by that point his title was in name only.

The two most important impacts are also the most well known and the ones with the effects that last to this present day. I am of course talking of the creation of the Temple of Time atop the ruins of the Sealed Temple and the creation of the Royal Family. Naturally they were brought about by the two central figures of the war; Rauru the Sage and Zelda the Second. The former was responsible for the creation of the Temple as the first step in a long term plan for the protection of the Triforce. With the aid of the Master Sword (and presumably the spirit that remained within it) the Sage cast open the portal to the ancient location of the Triforce - the former Silent Realm - and constructed a great fortress within it to house the sacred artifact. No longer would this be a realm to fear, now it would be a golden dimension to house the power of the Gods. He named it the Sacred Realm and sealed the portal (with himself inside) behind both the Master Sword and a more obvious seal (nicknamed the Door of Time in the coming centuries). The door would only open with the aid of three enchanted gems which Rauru gave to the Gorons, the Parella and the ancient guardian of the Forest currently unknown to all but the Kikwi.

The creation of the Temple was also intricately linked to the foundation of the new monarchy. In the years following the civil war the Hero's descendents had again risen in popularity, providing the perfect opportunity for Rauru (officially because of a vision from the Gods) to declare Zelda as the first Queen of Hyrule, a position required by the Goddesses and deserving of one who had led the country through the war. Hyrule Castle would serve as her seat of power and with the Knights of Hyrule standing behind the young woman the foundation of the monarchy would be secure. And more importantly for Rauru, the stage was set for the final part of his master plan.

For under the guise of a gift the Sage presented the new Queen with a beautiful blue instrument forged from a Timeshift Stone and told her to defend it with her life...

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

Link named his second child after Groose. You may ahhhh now.

Volvagia burnt Hyrule Town two chapters ago. The Temple of Hylia/Sealed Temple was destroyed during the incident.

As I've said before, the Sheikah of this period are a very secretive race. Them sharing knowledge is the exception rather than the rule.

The First Hylian Civil War was first announced as an event in Hyrule Historia, though several games prior to the book had announced wars over the Triforce.

Ordon is Link's hometown from Twilight Princess and a complicated situation we will see the origins of following Majora's Mask.

Kina is a name from Skyward Sword (Lumpy Pumpkin Barmaid), while Ichiro and Shiro are names of the carpenters from Ocarina of Time.

Here we see the second use of Zelda as a name for a significant figure. It will not be the last. Definitely not the last.

Death Mountain has fully overtaken Eldin Volcano as the name of the region. Hilariously enough it will now lose prominence since Mt Crenei (a mountain in the west) is the resident fire region in Minish Cap.

The west is our main theatre for this war, towards Lanayru Desert and away from the other surviving sentient species. This is partly foreshadowing for the general lack of civilisation (excluding Gerudo) in that compass direction in later Zelda Games including Minish Cap, Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess and Breath of the Wild. To be fair it's fairly natural - who wants to live next to a desert.

The fate of Skyloft will indeed haunt the Royal Family for years to come...

Wind Tribe is from Minish Cap. They'll be a key focus of the next Hyrule chapter.

The Golden Goddesses start to take over Hylia's position in this era, owing to the lack of references to Hylia around the events of Ocarina of Time. This is a by-product of Rauru's insistence on the visions granted to him.

The rise in 'Triforce Iconography' is a nod to the guards from Ocarina of Time. LOOK AT THEM!

This is the Temple of Time from Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild. The others from Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword are either not built yet or has fallen into disrepair.

The Silent Realm becoming the Sacred Realm is a very popular fan theory, which I've decided to use as it ties up a loose end.

The Gorons will keep their stone until Ocarina, the Parella will eventually lose theirs to the Zora and the Ancient Guardian (aka the Deku Tree) will protect his until Ganondorf kills him. Spoiler alert.

And the monarchy of Hyrule is finally created. Blimey that took ages. Oh and yes, the Ocarina of Time is from _Ocarina of Time._ Maybe.

 **A Note on Numbering:** I've increased the numbers for all species beyond what the games might suggest. This is deliberate and one of the few areas (Breath of the Wild's 10,000 year time jump being the other) where I'm pulling a minor contradiction of the games. I don't like doing this, but the story probably wouldn't make sense without it.


	13. The Ancient Tribe

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Ancient Tribe**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

The War of the First Sage heralded the end of the first period of Hylian expansionism. Never again would the chosen people of Hylia be driven to such an extent to explore the surface, even in the multiple periods referred to as 'an age of exploration'. Much of the fire behind the kingdom's growth turned inwards, being set towards the purpose of improving what already was. There was one small expansion for the purpose of burying the dead in the wars, Queen Zelda organising the construction of a 'Valley of the Dead' - later nicknamed Royal Valley, a common burial place for Hylians into the Era of Twilight (though the Royal Family would later move their personal tomb to Kakariko Village for unknown reasons). But on the whole the Kingdom would stay the same size for a long period of time, with the exception of the aforementioned valley and a slight abandonment of territory belonging to the former rebels.

The latter is the most crucial element for this chapter, as despite what the reader may have been told - not all the Rebels had been wiped out during the Civil War. 30 men of a southern portion of the army had survived, along with 20 men of the army that had attacked Hyrule Castle. These men remembered why they had rebelled against the descendants of the Hero, remembered why they had risked so much. In time they would pass down this resentment to their children and though they would never again challenge the Royal Family for dominion of the land; neither would they bow down and follow their laws.

And so approximately 20 years after the war, most of the inhabitants of the western plains packed up everything that they owned and left Hyrule. Their path would first take them through the swamp of Castor Wilds, named by the Shiekah after a particularly bitter variety of apple. This marshland had stretched over a large area on the western border of central Hyrule, but would begin to vanish by the time of the Hero of Men; finally disappearing completely about a century after the Hero of the Minish's death. With its loss, many unique species vanished from the pages of history - though as most of them were quite venomous this did not create any great public outcry. A few of the travellers settled within the swamp on a large hill previously unknown to any of the races. In time they would adopt the name 'The Wind Tribe' and reestablish a friendly relationship with Hyrule, before vanishing 15 years after the creation of the bound chest - a story which we cover next chapter. Most of the descendants of the rebels continued through the swamp however; fearful of the threat of soldiers being sent after them.

They needn't have worried, for while the Royal Family had been notified of their exodus they had not bothered to send any forces to hunt them down; quite possibly because of the shaky ground their own dynasty still stood upon. They would instead (as proved through surviving letters of Queen Zelda) resolve to keep a close eye on the western provinces and nothing more. In the meantime, the travellers crossed the future Tabantha Frontier (possibly named for one of their leaders through a corruption of the name Talan/Talon) and left the known world entirely.

It is from here that tracking the story of the rebels becomes extremely difficult. While the occasional trace of their route remains to this day, most signs of their passage have long since faded and the lands outside of Hyrule remain ever treacherous. Due to the lack of written records we are forced to rely on guestwork, a tricky situation which has led to a set of three highly debated hypotheses. The first of these theories suggests that the travellers took the pass over the western mountains (what is now known as the ridgeway) all the way to their final destination. Evidence to support this theory relies on the several ancient Hylian structures discovered along the modern day road. These could however have been constructed by the isolationist tribes known to have inhabited the area in that era (the last record of the tribes is contained within the Saga of Marin the Blind, written three years before the birth of the second Ganondorf). A large colony of Lizalfos also inhabited the area (and still does to this day) and would certainly have preyed upon the weak Hylian group.

The second hypothesis is that they journeyed to the south of the Ridgeway, through the northern parts of the Lanayru desert. The evidence for this suggestion comes from the many Hylian bones discovered in the area, though it should be noted that these bones are of all eras and not necessarily Hylian at all (considering Gerudo and Human bones look almost identical to our own). It is also worth noting that there is no easy path out of the far western desert without climbing; a fact that almost definitely confirms that the group travelled another way as they would have been forced to turn back. Therefore it is most likely - though not confirmed, never confirmed - that they took the third proposed route, namely the Freezard trail through the Hebra Mountains to the northwest of Hyrule (this was before the Hebra name came to apply to the ancient province of Snowpeak). This route would have been long and hard in its own right, though only from the weather as the demon tribes had not yet ventured into the area. The only wildlife present were birds, snow foxes, moose and the great rhinoceros herds that survive to the modern day (except in the timeline where Hyrule was flooded obviously). The moose would actually achieve quiet notability in their culture, the symbol of crossed antlers taking on the meaning of 'journey'.

The rebels would wonder in the wilderness for three years until they finally reached the canyon they would call home. To their eyes, it must have appeared like a gift from the Golden Goddesses themselves. A wide open plain, surrounded by tall mountains on all but one side and inhabited by beautiful golden plains and a large winding river. To some it brought back memories of the fields of Hyrule, though without the corruption of the capital and the lurking terror of the Bokoblin Hordes. In fact there were no demons here; they had been one step behind and in front of the travellers during their entire journey but for whatever reason this valley was untouched.

It did not take them long to realise why.

The valley was full of life, brimming with flowers and animals - but of types the Hylians had never seen. They were not dangerous (truly there seemed to be an absolute lack of a food chain), but they were _bitter_. And twisted. The water and food in the valley refused to fill the travellers' stomachs and left them with dry throats; the air was always slightly too thick for comfort; the heat of the sun was just fierce enough to inflict sunburn. And the villagers were never truly able to feel comfortable and they always felt as if something was _watching_ them. Still even with these faults, they would still take up residence in the valley as it was better than anywhere else. Soon they had founded a thriving village named after the ancient Hylian word for 'watcher' - Ikana. In later years the name would come to apply to the entire valley and ingrain itself into the local populace - Hylian and Bokoblin - to such an extent that word would reach Hyrule of the town of the rebels. Again Queen Zelda did nothing, though that may have been influenced by domestic disputes and her increasing age.

In truth this may have been for the best as the rebels soon realised they were not the first to travel to the valley. High upon one of the mountains, surrounded by great walls and buttresses lay a great Stone Tower; unweathered, undamaged and unopened for centuries. The Tower had appeared without warning on a day fourteen years into the story of the village, causing great dismay and fear. But even when the villagers gathered their weapons and advanced on the great stone door, there was no further occurrence. Even when they scouted around and attempted to climb the stone walls. Even when they began to smash down the entrance...nothing happened. Perhaps the entity inside had used up all its power for the time being. Or perhaps it was merely waiting to be released - a Demon Lord is nothing but patient, after all. For that was the dark truth of the valley: it was a prison for the remnants of the Demon Majora and a trap for the Hylian travellers.

It is here once again that I must inform you that we loose a written record of events. Unlike the records of their journey to the valley, this almost certainly has a different cause - they did not feel the need to record their actions. Indeed it appears the Tribe may have become entirely illiterate as the Demon exerted its mental pressure upon their mortal minds, driving them to lunacy and savagery to please it's mad hunger. The occasion account copied from a Bokoblin speak of a place even the demons feared to tread, of a ruined valley inhabited by the mad and the cursed - of a place where the sacrifices never ended and the blood never ran dry. The mere existence of this Ancient Tribe was enough to terrify other peoples to flee the area and cast their fate before the Gods rather than face the savages. It is proposed that they were responsible for the destruction of the Lizalfos civilisation in the far west and the exodus of the local Goron population into the Snowhead mountains.

It is certain they are responsible for the name of the entire land in years to come - Termina: The Land of the Dead.

But all things end, even the plots of Demon Lords. With a whisper the civilisation of the Ancient Tribe (there are no records as to what they would have called themselves, though the Bokoblins used the name 'Gleeok' which is believed to mean dread) vanished. The mask was sealed away once more, the Stone Tower was abandoned and the village blew away like leaves on the wind. It is unknown what caused this terminal event, the Hero of Time in his eighteen-part chronicle described an attempt by rogue cultists to free their Tribe from the madness of Demon Worship. It is unknown how he came by this information, though certain quiet rumours suggest another Demon Lord was involved (how the Demon him/herself knew is another matter entirely). Several of my fellow scholars follow the Fallen Theory, that another civilisation invaded the valley and exterminated the tribe. Traditionally this role was given to the Zora, but they would not evolve for years. The Rhoam Theory is also popular, which suggests that one of Termina's four great giants arrived to wipe out the menace. This does bear some precedence as the Giants are known to take little interest in the affairs of men, but the presence of a Demon may have been enough to change that and it would certainly explain the mask's lingering resentment of them centuries later.

The valley itself would remain deserted for over a century, until a feudalistic tribe took up residence in the wasteland. That story and that of the birth of Clock Town, will be covered in a later chapter. But I will end this piece with a single written record of an event one year before the Moonfall Crisis. A record of a man daring to enter the ruined valley (for even the later Tribe fell apart eventually) with a satchel of masks clasped to his back. A man...at least in appearance.

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

 **You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?**

Yes, in this chapter we see the origins of Ikana, some of the origins of Termina and the beginning of the stage being set for Majora's Mask. As I said, they'll be a later chapter of Clock Town itself where I can go into more detail about the rest of Termina as well as the Kings of Ikana.

The various 'Ages of Exploration' happen fairly often and are an aspect of the waxing and waning nature of Hylian society.

The Royal Valley is an area from Minish Cap. The Kakariko Tomb reference is for Ocarina of Time.

Castle Wilds is the large swamp area from the Minish Cap, which I've elaborated on a bit to explain why it isn't in Breath of the Wild. It's vanishing is due to climate change more than anything, though it is possible that the Wind Tribe (more next time) had something to do with draining the swamp.

Tabantha Frontier is an area from Breath of the Wild. Talon is from Ocarina of Time and a few others since, including Minish Cap which inspired his usage here.

The isolationist tribes are (usually) leftovers from the time of the Ancient Battle, Hylians who did not escape to the Sky. This may be - I am not decided yet - the source of the human gene that pops up later, as well as the ancestors of the Gerudo. They are certainly going to play an important role in Termina's history though, when we get round to that.

Marin the Blind is my own creation.

The Lizalfos are mentioned as having a functioning civilisation in Breath of the Wild (as well as hints earlier), so here's something along those lines.

Freezards are enemies from Twilight Princess.

Hebra is the snow region from Breath of the Wild. It will take over the Snowpeak province (Twilight Princess) post that game.

Woolly Rhinos! Truly, Breath of the Wild has it all! Also Mööse.

Ikana and Termina are words from Ancient Hylian. They may come to have different meanings later...

The 'Stone Tower' is in fact Stone Tower Temple from Majora's Mask. The room with Twinmold is part of the original seal for Majora's Mask, though the entire place has weakened over the centuries.

In effect, the entire valley was a honey trap for the Ancient Tribe. However due to Majora's nature, everything was always at least slightly _off_ about the place.

Snowhead is a region from Majora's Mask.

Gleeok is a dragon from the original Legend of Zelda.

Rhoam is the name of the King from BOTW.

 **The Counter Resets...**


	14. The People of the Wind

**The Story of Hyrule  
The People of the Wind**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

Some have said that the nature of the Hylian people is division and desertion; towards King, towards Kingdom, towards even the Goddesses themselves. There is much evidence for this, our land's history has been defined by the cruelty of men just as much as the legacy of the Demon King Demise. The First Hylian Civil War proved this, as would many events afterwards: the Rise of the Dark Interlopers, the Reign of the False Hero and the Tragedy of the Sleeping Zelda being among them. Were the Demon King's last words not 'your kind will wander a blood-soaked sea for all time'? Was that perhaps a prophecy rather than a curse?

But unlike the Demons, our kind can also bring great wonders into the world. Not just in grand architecture or magnificent works of literature - though the coming millennia would see many examples of each of those - but in the spreading of peace, in the forging of treaties, in the act of reconciliation. The last of those is perhaps the most amazing creation of the First Hylian Civil War, the act of forgiveness between both sides. Of course it was not immediate and in time other forces would conspire to destroy the prosperity of the Hylians, but nonetheless it did happen.

I talk of course about the beginnings of the Force Era and the rise of the Wind Tribe, the second of the great Hylian civilisations and one of the longest surviving - enduring until the Era of Trade in the Child Timeline, the Fall of Hyrule in the Downfall Timeline and the present day in the Adult Timeline. Perennially red of hair and small of stature, the tribe are the only known descendants of the first group of rebels who attempted to seize the Triforce, due to the other group's destruction at the hands of the Demon Lord Majora. Despite this or perhaps because of this, the tribe quickly established positive relations with the young Kingdom of Hyrule though never as subjects and preferring to live in isolation in Castor Wilds.

The story of how my ancestors - for I am a member of the tribe myself, writing this from the new Era of the Sky in the Adult Timeline - came to inhabit Castor Wilds was recanted in the previous chapter so I will not address it here. That being said, I will confirm that the first decade of life in the swamp was very difficult for the settlers due to the hostile climate. Several great diseases attacked Hyrule and the colony during this period, inflicting a monstrous toll in deaths - comparable to the calamities of the Great Woe and Ganon's Due far later in Hyrule's history. The settlers also suffered occasional attacks from the Lizalfos Kingdom to the far west (the same civilisation that may have preyed on the rebels who chose not to settle in the swamp) and beginning 7 years prior to the War of the Bound Chest, they faced invasion from the expansionist Darknut realm in the Snowpeak region.

At this time the Tribe had taken the name 'Castori' after their chosen home and had made a name for themselves through the trade of medicinal plants and herbs growing in the swamp. They also became well known for the construction of smaller boats, developed to move through the swamp without threat of getting caught on the shallow bottom. They were aided in this by the many cypress trees that grew in the swamp, a wood well known for being light and resistant to decay. They were forced to import stronger wood for building however and so that along with iron became their biggest import. In time the Tribe grew quite wealthy, equal to any province of Hyrule except the capital city and it's hinterlands.

As this was happening, rule of the Kingdom of Hyrule had passed onto King Link the first, named for his direct ancestor after the loss of Queen Zelda I to the plague. He is agreed to have not been one of the Hero's reincarnations by most scholars, mainly due to the actions of his son and the influence of the Cult of the Hero who deny the possibility that a Hero's reincarnation (Link) could be the child of a Goddess's reincarnation (Zelda). As mentioned previously, the first era of Hylian expansion had come to a close following the War of the First Sage. Much of the remaining industry turned towards improving what already existed: these included extensions and fortifications for Hyrule Castle, a crown sponsored scheme for farms and ranches in the east and the creation of a number of roads connecting the various settlements - none of which survived to the present. Efforts were also deliberately made to bury the memory of the Civil War, including the quiet abandonment of the western territory the Rebels had inhabited. King Link's journal refers to this as a 'Impian Strategy' after the girl famed for wounding the fire dragon Volvagia. It is unknown as to why, though perhaps he referred to her technique of fleeing after one strike and thereby ensuring the dragon would quickly forget about its attacker.

The Triforce also began to pass back into legend, remaining sealed in the Sacred Realm under the watchful eyes of Rauru the Sage of Light, who had long since passed 100 years in age. The realm's mundane entrance, the Temple of Time had replaced the former Temple of Hylia as the centre of worship in the kingdom after a somewhat reluctant allowance from the King. This era also saw the completion of the gradual shift towards worship of the three Golden Goddesses over Hylia, a change that almost certainly had roots in the revelation of the Triforce's existence. It would be many centuries until this trend was reversed and Hylia once again rose to the forefront, enough time for the scattered parts of her spirit to reform themselves independent of the eternal cycle.

But that was far in the future. In the meantime, both groups of Hylians had other matters to contend with. For instance, the uncovering of an ancient temple to the south of Kakariko Village and the horrors within. The Shadow Temple. A cursed and terrible place where the Goddess Hylia had cast her enemies long ago with the instruction that it was never to be opened. Only now it had been and the consequences of that action would shape the future for thousands of years; leading to corruption, to genocide, to the creation of an evil second only to Ganon himself.

But before that came the final move in the approach to calamity, the creation of the Four Elements: Earth, Fire, Water and Wind. In truth their creator, a mage of the Castori called Gentari had intended for them to be but ornaments; only realising their true potential after a blast from the Earth Element raised the hill upon which the Castori lived into a plateau. After the Water Element created a great lake in the east (somewhat confusingly referred to also as Lake Hylia before it was renamed to Nayru Wetlands on royal order). After the Fire Element triggered Mount Crenei into a cataclysmic eruption. Somehow, through magic unknown to this day Gentari had created some of the most powerful artifacts in history. To his credit he immediately realised the danger of what he had created and fearing the possibility of being forced to make more, he destroyed all his notes and took his own life as penance before the Goddesses. The Elements were scattered to the corners of Hyrule, with the exception of the Wind Element which remained with the Tribe. King Link was apparently very disturbed by this fact, though declined from pressing this issue - though his son Gustaf was sent to quietly investigate the situation.

It is unknown why my ancestors kept the Wind Element rather than hide it away like all the others. Perhaps they felt it was so little of a threat that it wasn't worth the effort. Perhaps they felt a certain kinship with it, considering it the fourth part of a destructive set of three artifacts - a Tetraforce if you will. Perhaps it was simple greed, I will not deny that possibility though their actions do thankfully not support that conclusion. In truth they only used the Element at first for the purposes of defence, by summoning a maze of whirlwinds to cover the unsettled areas of Castor Wilds. This immediately put a stop to the raids of both the Lizalfos and the Darknuts and worked well enough to ensure that the settlement never suffered an attack during the coming war.

It also gave them their new name: The Wind Tribe, the Keepers of the Uncursed Element.

For the rest of Hyrule however, weathering the storm would prove much harder. For with a roar of ancient fury darkness swept out of the depths of the Shadow Temple and lit the fires of war again. A roar of a thousand sides, a war that required the return of the Ancient Hero.

The War of the Bound Chest.

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

 **Mai Boi! This piece is wat all true warriors strive For!**

 _...ahem._

So in this chapter we see the origins of the Wind Tribe from Minish Cap and the final approach to the Hero of Men. Next chapter we'll be dealing directly with his story and the arrival of a certain group of midgets with a certain sword...

The Dark Interlopers are the ancestors of the Twili from Twilight Princess and will make their debut post-Four Swords in the Second Hylian Civil War.

The Fallen Hero is...well that would be telling. I will say that it's set post-Four Swords Adventures and is there to lead into Breath of the Wild.

The Tragedy of Princess Zelda is the backstory to Adventure of Link, happening post-A Link between Worlds.

The Force Era is one of the periods designated by Hyrule Historia and covers MC and FS. It presumably refers to the Light Force of the Skaven Tribe.

The Era of Trade is a period coming up post-Majora's Mask and the Fall of Hyrule is Ganon's destruction of the kingdom prior to Zelda I.

The Wind Tribe are labelled a solitary people due to their behaviour in the Minish Cap, essentially exiling themselves to the Cloud Tops. This does not mean they're unfriendly, only that they rarely travel far from Castor Wilds.

Yes, I Blasta60 am a Wind Tribe member in real life!...being serious, I chose the Wind Tribe due to how little a role they play in Hyrule's history and because I could reliably get them to end of one timeline without lots of handwaving.

The New Era of the Sky is a nod to a story called 'The Legend of Zelda: Sky Lines' on which I suggest giving a read. In universe this era takes place post Spirit Tracks and will probably not be covered in this story, though I may give a few hints as to what goes on.

The Great Woe is a plague that occurs about 17 years prior to Twilight Princess. Ganon's Due is a plague taking place before Zelda I.

We'll see more on the Darknuts in the next chapter so I won't talk much about them here, only saying that they are not Demons in the normal sense...

Ending names with -ri is common in the Minish Cap (Picori, Gestari, Libari, etc.) so I've brought it across here.

Just to doubly confirm, King Link is not a reincarnation of the Hero. This is complete canon in universe, unlike with his mother who I'm still debating.

The Cult of the Hero will only become a factor in some timelines (and even then only late on) but will have their part to play in some key events. For reference they do not worship the Hero, though they do regard him as the equivalent of a prophet of Hylia.

On the industry mentioned in this chapter, the expansion of Hyrule Castle is to take it closer to its Minish Cap appearance with a large garden inside the outer wall. As a fort it would not have had this luxury. The 'farms and ranches' are a nod towards Lon Lon Ranch though that specifically may have come into existence earlier or later.

The Golden Goddess worship taking precedence is an acknowledgment of how Hylia is rarely mentioned in games aside from SS, TP and BOTW. Hylia herself has managed to reform as a Goddess prior to Breath of the Wild.

In universe the Shadow Temple is very, very old; dating back to 'the Ancient Battle' where I briefly mentioned it.

Gentari is a Minish Elder from the...Minish Cap.

The 'plateau' is the ground the Wind Ruins is Minish Cap is built upon. 'Nayru Wetlands' (later Lanayru Wetlands) is an area from Breath of the Wild which I've used to explain why Lake Hylia was in the northeast in Minish Cap. Mount Crenei is the mountain region from that game.

The story behind how Gentari created the Four Elements will be important later, when the Fused Shadows come into play.

Gustaf is the Ghost King from Minish Cap (Spoilers).

Yes, I referenced the Tetraforce. So sue me.


	15. The Darknut Invasion(Hero of Men 1)

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Darknut Invasion**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

 _"From the west the demon-spawn and the lizards march to conquer us! In Death mountain the Gorons war among themselves! The Parella die out, the Shiekah drown in demonic horrors! We are alone to face this tide, undefended and unprotected. What can this Kingdom do to survive? Is there anything?"_

Some scholars like to suggest that the War of the Bound Chest was a successor conflict to the First Hylian Civil War and so born from the same desires. This viewpoint is heavily flawed, if not entirely inaccurate. The War of the First Sage was a battle over the Triforce and the apparent sins of the future Royal Family. It involved two sides and ended in a clear victory for the loyalists a few months after its outset.

The War of the Bound Chest was a war over land and power. It was a war of conquest, of desire, of lingering hatred and ancient evil. It involved a multitude of opposing factions, arguably over ten at specific points due to large areas of the land falling into anarchy. Far too much was lost in knowledge and history, horrendous gaps in the record that are only now being filled. The alliances and friendships built up over centuries fell apart as the Trade Routes were lost to bandits and monsters And the casualties were unending on all sides: Hylian, Sheikah, Goron, Parella, Darknut, Lizalfos and Demon.

This is that story.

It began with - appropriately enough - _three_ events, approximately 80 years after the previous war for control of Hyrule. These occurrences didn't happen at quite the same time - indeed there is a probable suggestion that they happened over a period of two months (though of course the record has decayed significantly). They were also not connected in when they occurred (as far as we know) and indeed it is only coincidence that they happened during the same period. We do know however about the order the events happened in and that is the order in which I shall recount them.

I briefly mentioned the first of them in the previous chapter, but I shall recount that dreadful day again here - the unsealing of the Shadow Temple. It was a trader from Hyrule that first uncovered the ruin - a fact that the Shiekah have henceforth refused to forgive - and Hylian soldiers who broke down its doors (for even though the Shiekah had long forgotten its existence, something in their racial memory still warned them away from that dark threshold). The reader may be asking about why they ignored the obvious warnings inscribed upon the door and the walls surrounding, why they ignored the 'black stone' implanted before the doorway - a lesser version of the 'Sealing Spike' used in the seal upon the Demon King Demise. The sad truth is that ancient Hylian, that dialect spoken by the chosen people of Hylia prior to the Ancient Batfle had degraded beyond recognition; evolving as the Hylians had into a new form - the Old Hylian Syllabary. Far more angular and straightforward than the Ancient Hylian language, this version would endure for an extremely long period of time, finally 'evolving' itself into a new form following the timeline split (though different in each).  
I will not be able to recount all of what the soldiers discovered deep within that prison, as not only are the records badly damaged to begin with but they are also quite unsuitable for a work of history such as this. Here are a few specific sections however, translated into the modern tongue:

 _'So light receded behind us and the shadows grew before us.'_

 _'The statue spoke and we did tremble at its words.'_

 _'The bottom was hidden...the fall was endless misery.'_

 _'-Reaper's price was claimed and so allowed us on.'_

 _'-noises in the depths, tales in the hollows-'_

 _'Remove thy eyes to pass henceforth.'_

 _'That old song opened the path forward.'_

 _"-we saw him. It. The one who watches."_

Fragments of a longer story indeed, but fragments are enough when combined with the Hero of Time's account from thousands of years later. We can infer that their party (numbering between 4-20 depending on the record) succeeded in reaching the lower depths of the 'temple' and there met _something_ , presumably the 'dark shadow' that claimed the lives of most of the party and then escaped to lay waste to Hyrule. The exact identity of this being is unknown, though the records propose several possibilities: that it was another of the ancient Demon Lords (akin to Bellum, Majora and Malladus), that it was the sealed spirit of the Demon King's sword Ghirahim (though this is deemed unlikely as there is nothing to suggest that the sword spirit survived his encounter with the Hero of Legend), or most plausibly that it was an entity built purely out of the rage of the imprisoned demons.

The latter is very possible as such beings have arisen before in Hyrule's history. For instance the Poe and Stalfos 'species' which are formed from the lingering anger of departed souls and the Nightmare (also called Dethl, meaning 'Death Eye) that tormented the Wind Fish encountered by the Hero of Light and Dark. The rage of sealed demons - particularly over a period of several thousand years - would definitely be able to achieve the same effect.

But regardless of the true identity of the shadow, it was able to quickly break through what remained of the seal and rise up to torment the east of Hyrule. It would mainly pray on the Shiekah Tribe and the village of Kakariko, but several Hylian Towns would be forcibly cleansed of any life present. However the other demonic hordes would not show the same restraint and quickly scattered throughout Hyrule and the surrounding lands, praying on any who seemed unable to defend themselves. This was the first crisis of the war, the return of the Demon Tribe in force.

The second crisis occurred at Death Mountain and involved the actions of the Goron Tribe during this conflict. A long term precursor to the conflict involving the 'Lord of Fire', this conflict arose from the discovery of an excellent new feeding ground for the rock eaters; a massive cavern inhabited by a large number of the Dodongo species. Usually this discovery would have been met with great celebrations by the tribe, even more so than usual considering Gorons are a perennially jolly race when provided with the opportunity (with minor exceptions scattered throughout history). Unfortunately the previous Patriarch of Goron City had died without electing a heir and when the time came for the elders (traditionally the four eldest Gorons in the settlement) to elect a replacement, there was a hung vote. Goron government is organised in such as way that the Tribe cannot run without a chief, official decisions and statements cannot be decided upon without an elected Patriarch to make them official and introduce bills to the council (made up of every of-age Goron in the area).

Usually such situations are resolved quickly through either a successor vote or a ritualistic wrestling match (the winner being the first to knock his opponent out of the arena three times). Both of these options failed however - the wrestling match due was dismissed as unfair due to one of the contenders being significantly older than the others and the successor votes too ended in a hung option due to the Gorons also being a perennially _stubborn_ species. Until a Patriarch was elected, the Gorons could do nothing unless they were personally attacked - which they wouldn't be for quite some time - and so stayed neutral throughout the first half of the War.

A side effect of the Goron's staying neutral was the unleashing of the Acro-Bandits on northeastern Hyrule. While the former Mogma's would never manage to capture a town or indeed have a significant effect on the economy, their presence would tie down a substantial chunk of the Hylian army as protection for the villages and travellers.

The Parella would likewise stay neutral, though this is more due to their rapidly declining numbers than any other issues. The Coral-Kind as they are occasionally known are a long lived species who seldom breed - ironically very similar to their eventual Zora destroyers. This is not considered as one of the Great Crisis however, as the reach of the Parella was very short in this age. Faron and the other two quasi-deity dragons had long since departed from mortal contact, their disappearance unremarked on simply due to it taking the form of longer and longer absences.

In a way, the key impact of these events was tying down Hyrule's allies - though both would cause minor bloodshed for the Hylian race, mainly they just resulted in large chunks of Hyrule's army having to be diverted to protect the eastern regions. Massive enough portions that when an invasion came from the west, Hyrule buckled and broke under the attack. The horde of demons quickly overwhelmed the depopulated regions left over from the War of the First Sage and marched on Castle Town. Any Hylians discovered were massacred, these monsters were unlike all others as they did not need slaves or want prisoners. They had invaded purely to gain power and territory for their empire, to ensure that the strong ruled the land rather than the weak.

They were Darknuts, the evil knights favoured by Ganon and this war is their defining moment as much as it is the Hylians'. They came in this era from the frozen land of Hebra (also called Snowpeak during specific periods in its history) where they had built up a mighty kingdom over several centuries. This state was run as a military theocracy, where the commanding generals of the armies were also the High Priests of Demise and the heads of state. Much of the actual history of this state has been preserved in the Royal Archives and an excellent account can be found in Saharashla's 'Tribes of the Ancient World'. I will not recap it here for the sake of time, aside from the chapter on their origin which records that:

 _'With the aid of the Great Devourer and the Lord of Wrath, the Trickster set to creating a new breed of demon to aid in the wars against Her Grace. In this he was as cunning as in all other matters and so set himself the task of breaking the Goddess's spirit as well as challenging her might. And so he took the greatest and most powerful demons under his command, searched out the strongest Hylian slaves in the empire and mated them in the pits. It-who-thirsts bound their bodies together, the Fierce One forged their armour and arms and the Trickster melded their minds all for this cruel purpose - the creation of the Darknuts. When Hylia heard of what had happened she wept and her tears formed into a great marshland.'_

This story is the origin of the name of these poor creatures - _Dark-nut_ , meaning 'Dark Brother' in Ancient Hylian; an acknowledgment of our biological relation to these monsters (though in later eras it must be noted that both Lizalfos and Wolfkin (the sentient descendants of the Wolfos) would claim the title as well). The Trickster is the lesser known of the named Demon Lords though legends state that he alone survives to this day. The 'Great Devourer' and 'It-who-thirsts' are known to refer to the scourge Bellum. The 'Lord of Wrath' and the 'Fierce One' refer to the being now known as the Fierce Deity. Hylia is of course 'Her Grace'. The location of the Mating Pits are unknown.

This origin explains a number of things about the ancient civilisation of the Darknuts. Their colour of armour changing to reflect rank (blue followed by red followed by black or gold) is taken from the knightly order of that ancient land. Their style of helmet too comes from this period, though somewhat thicker and more covering to reflect the un-hylian ancestry. Perhaps the tale also provides a hint to the true reason for the conquest: resentment for those who were spared from the cruelty of the Demon Lords. Their life is not an easy existence, demonic and Hylian blood was never meant to be mixed and so they are in almost constant agony.

Darknut society is based entirely on combat, designed so that only the strong will survive. Weak babies are left in the wild to die by starvation or animal (though many have also been killed by Hylian, Zora or Goron due to the lingering hatred between our kinds). In some ways this is a mercy for other species, for those who survive are raised to dedicate themselves to fighting, beaten from infancy into becoming formidable warriors. Under this strength the untested Hylian army - for the War of the First Sage was barely remembered by the oldest of that time and there had been no great conflicts since - fell apart in the field and was slaughtered to a man. The villages as I mentioned earlier were likewise sacked, the Wind Tribe only escaping destruction due to their control of the Wind Element.

Twice more did the Hylian army attempt to stop their advance, at the places known as Hyrule Ridge and the Breach of Demise (the irony of the latter was not lost upon anyone present). They failed, though a thousand Darknuts were also cut down and the battlefield was literally caked with blood from their efforts. They failed and the invading army marched on Castle Town. _They failed and the Darknuts laid siege to the settlement_ , only being prevented from sacking it by the formidable defences, many updated versions of those used during 'The Wrath of Volvagia'. But even without a sack, the citizens of Hyrule still knew the trouble of their predicament as they did not have enough food to survive for any substantial amount of time. It is pure luck that the city didn't fall to anarchy instantly and snuff out the hope of the broken kingdom.

There were some Hylians that escaped the notice of the invaders however. The far south of Hyrule field remained untouched. The north and Hyrule Castle remained able to exert their strength. Even some of the provinces near to Castle Town had been able to flee their homes before the iron fist closed. It would be up to them to save Hyrule, up to them to save the last spark of civilisation.

Especially when in the Sheikah were forced to flee Kakariko for the first time in their history, even their treasured caves proved a useless defence against the demonic hordes. On Death Mountain the Goron situation turned violent following a heated argument at a feast. And in the southeast the Lizalfos civilisation also advanced, sensing weakness in its neighbors...

The time had come for a new Hero.

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

I think this has to be one of my favourite chapters to date, what with the Darknuts (Uruk-hai ripoff begrudgingly admitted) and the Shadow Temple coming into play. When I return to this we'll see the Hero of Men finally arrive along with the Picori/Minish/those guys. Originally this was going to one chapter, but like with Volvagia I've divided it into two because of length.

The Parella are the water race from Skyward Sword. The Coral-Kind name refers to their appearance.

The title of this war (...of the Bound Chest) comes directly from Hyrule Historia and refers to a certain artifact to be introduced next chapter).

I am deliberately making _three_ the 'arc number' for this entire story for fairly obvious reasons.

The cold relationship mentioned between the Shiekah and Hylians is a tie into Ocarina of Time, where the village of Kakariko has only recently been opened to Hylians. This fact will also be key in the coming 'Second Hylian Civil War'.

The 'Black Stone' is a nod to beta content from Skyward Sword.

The situation with languages is due to the change in Hylian Text between Skyward Sword and Ocarina of Time (or rather vice versa). I've taken the names for the specific forms from Zelda Wiki.

Several parts during the second quote refer to specific parts of the Shadow Temple (pillar puzzle in first big room, various pits, scythe trap). 'That Old Song' is Zelda's Lullaby which is required to pass through to the boss.

Hyrule does have a Grim Reaper figure, though it takes the form of a angular bird creature rather than a skeleton.

The Shadow Creature is not Bongo Bongo, though they do have a connection which I'll get to later. The theory about it being a product of the demons' hatred is accurate. Poe and Stalfos are common enemies, the Nightmare/Dethl is from Link's Awakening.

The 'Lord of Fire' is a character from between Majora's Mask and Twilight Princess who I have created.

Dodongo's Cavern is from Ocarina of Time.

Goron Society is based on various elements from OOT and TP. The Patriarch of course originates from Ocarina and him nominating his heir comes from the likelihood of Link the Goron following his pa into the role. The wrestling matches and the four Goron elders come from Twilight Princess.

Acro Bandits are the devolved forms of the Mogma Tribe.

Wolfkin are a name I've given to the more animalistic Darknuts in Wind Waker. Wolfos are the wolf like enemies from many titles in the series.

The Blue and Red Colour Scheme for armour is a reference to the danger levels for enemies in the original Legend of Zelda. The Black Darknut was the strongest of his kind in Minish Cap, while the Gold Darknut took that position in Four Swords Adventures.

The thing on helmets is a nod to the Stalmaster from Skyward Sword. I may have been kinda stretching with that one.

The Hyrule Ridge and the Breach of Demise are from Breath of the Wild.

The Sheikah caves are from a previous chapter in this.


	16. The Coming of the Picori (Hero of Men 2)

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Coming of the Picori**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

 _A long, long time ago...when the world was on the verge of being swallowed by shadow... the tiny Picori appeared from the sky, bringing the Hero of Men a sword and a golden light. With wisdom and courage, the hero drove out the darkness. When peace been restored, the people enshrined that blade with care._

So goes the traditional telling of the War of the Bound Chest, described to rapt children over thousands of years - long after every individual actor in the conflict had been forgotten, even 'the Hero of Men' being reduced to a title rather than the real man he was. It is one of the fundamental tales of all the peoples of this world, surviving flood and calamity untouched and being told in places as far away as Subrosia and Hytopia. Surprisingly it is truly accurate unlike most other tales of this nature, though vague in the greatest sense of the word. The beginning of the conflict - which I described in the previous chapter - is almost unmentioned; as are the roles of the Goron Tribes and the Shiekah of Kakariko. The Shadow Temple is only hinted at and the Darknuts do not warrant a mention.

It is curious then that the role of the Picori (or Minish in their own tongue) has survived so well. The tale alludes to the Light Force of the Royal Family and the Picori Blade with rapt attention, as well as the latter's defining role in bringing the conflict to a close. Perhaps the survival of this part of the conflict is related to the survival of tales dedicated to the Picori in general, as they are and have always been popular among the young. In two out of the three timelines they are told to the present day, accompanied in their survival by a annual festival popular with children. It is only in the latter stages of the Downfall timeline that the legends have vanished and that is understandable due to the collapse of civilisation in the world ruled by Ganon.

But enough of the history of the far future, I shall get to that in time with any luck. I will instead recount how the Picori actually arrived and how it was that their arrival was almost unremarked on at first (it is believed that this was their first visit to Hyrule, though confirmation of this is difficult due to the below mentioned reason). The gateway to the Minish World originally opened in a courtyard deep within Hyrule Castle, invisible to all except children (exactly when the door and the Minish themselves become undetectable by a person seems to vary, with the common explanation being that it relies on a certain lack of maturity). This created problems instantly, as aside from a few servants' children the castle was empty of Hylians who could see the Minish. The King of Hyrule - Gustaf I, a youth of seventeen - certainly couldn't and so had no idea of the otherworldly visitors to his keep, meaning that he stayed occupied with planning a hopeless rescue of Castle Town. Several times the Picori attempted to gain his attention by causing inexplicable acts or events, only for the confounded man to misunderstand all of them.

In the end the task fell to the daughter of a serving maid (not a Shiekah as several chronicles state, possibly in confusion with the Impa known to have fought Volvagia), who solved it by dragging the King through the invisible entrance into the Minish World. Only then were the Picori finally able to speak freely to the man without the interference of their natural invisibility and explain why they had sought him out. They revealed that they had been asked to assist Hyrule by none other than the Golden Goddesses (Din, Nayru and Farore), one of several direct interventions that the trinity would make over the eons; the most famous of course being the Great Flood. This help would not come in the form of manpower of course due to the size of the Picori, but instead through the sharing of magical disciplines. This was to correct a dangerous flaw in the structure of Hyrule's forces, that flaw being the fact that they had no dedicated magical forces to use in battle.

The revelation that this was an issue here may come as a surprise for readers in the present day, as even nowadays that lack of magical power remains. Unlike some species our kind has never been adapt at the magical arts aside from in a few rare cases; though that being said we possess a far greater resistance to witchery and enchantments than even the Gorons. Instead the armies and warriors of Hyrule have always been dedicated to the principles of knighthood and the use of sword, bow and spear. With the Picori this was quite different, as their small size required them to focus on the magical arts to protect themselves from what we would consider mere insects. That is not to say they had no martial tradition, but rather that it was extremely rare for great melee warriors to arise from their kind. Indeed, both these flaws were ingrained so heavily in our kinds that there was no true way of fixing them.

But there were ways of getting of getting around the issue that both sides could use - namely the creation of magical weaponry and technology, which was the true purpose behind this meeting of our two worlds. In return for the gift of several automatons from the Royal Archives (such as Beamos and Armos), the Picori taught the smiths of Hyrule Castle the art of forging magical weaponry and gifted them a sword made directly by their own master smiths - the Picori Blade, the same weapon that would later be reforged into the legendary Four Sword. The tales of what this weapon would go on to do are well known, but less are told about it's counterpart - the Light Force, in truth another name for the remnants of the Goddess Hylia's power bound to the blood of the Royal Family that the Picori reawakened after a long period of dormancy following the death of the first Zelda. In the following centuries this power would usually arise in the females of the line (with some notable exceptions), but at this time only one direct heir to the legacy remained.

King Gustaf himself, **the Hero of Men**.

In the meantime the situation in southern Hyrule had settled down somewhat due to the success of the Darknut invasion. Castle Town itself stayed independent as well as a few southern and eastern towns, but the majority of the kingdom was now garrisoned by the cruel knights of Hebra. Most of the native population had either been slain or had fled, leaving behind a situation many have called 'the peace of the dead'. It is certainly true that the Darknuts were without mercy and that certain places in Hyrule were forever haunted by Poes and other spectres for a long time thereafter. The Darknuts themselves had slowed down somewhat, after suffering heavy losses at Hyrule Ridge and the Breach of Demise. They were still a powerful force - of that there is no doubt - but the deaths of at least a third of them were not easy to ignore.

They were also beginning to suffer the aftershocks of events taking place elsewhere in Hyrule. In the east, the Goron Civil War had begun to spill out into the plains as the five Patriarchs battled for supremacy. Three of them had taken up strongholds in the Death Mountain region itself - namely Goron City, the Dodongo's Cavern and a cave nearby the future Gorko Lake - while two had been forced out of the region entirely and into Hylian territory. Those two were the issue for the Darknuts trying to exert control over that region, especially when the swords of the knights proved worse than useless against Goron skin. And this was far from an isolated problem on the eastern frontier, as the Shiekah fleeing from the demons of the Shadow Temple were most definitely not friends of an army of half-demons. They had little in the way of power to exert against the Darknuts, but combined with the Goron issue and the remaining Hylian resistance it was a problem that couldn't be allowed to continue.

So it was that the Darknut leadership split their remaining armies into three parts. One would remain in its present location to continue the siege of Castle Town, while the others would go north and east respectively to finish off the Hylian remnants and the other races who had come into the conflict. On the surface this was an excellent idea, taking them both out now would prevent an alliance that could realistically pose a threat to the conquest. Both groups were also scattered rebels at the present time, crushing them promptly would make the task easier since presumably they would be limited to Guerilla Warfare alone - a strategy that would fail against the iron discipline and strong command structure of Hebra's legions.

Both groups of Rebels also knew this fact however and so traded land for time, allowing the Darknuts far enough into their lands that their advance was quickly stalled by the need for the supply train to catch up to the main force. This only gave the Rebels a few days to prepare for the actual engagement, but that was enough time for them to locate advantageous terrain and prepare it for battle. As they had learnt from the fall of the Hylian Army, they did not intend to meet the Darknuts on a battlefield; instead choosing the option of preparing for a siege in the hope that the pride of the Dark Knights would force them to assault the positions of the Rebels. It was a brilliant plan truly, though extremely risky as all the other fortifications (with the exception of Castle Town) had fallen. Unbeknownst to either defending group however, it played directly to their strengths over those of the Darknuts since the knights had no ranged or magical traditions. Therefore, they would be forced to reach melee range to inflict any damage of their own, while the Hylians and Sheikah would be able to bombard their foes from a distance with impunity.

For the Sheikah and the eastern Hylian forces, the chosen battleground was the entrance to the massive frozen cavern system known as Talus Cave; located far to the southeast of Hyrule - and well away from the corruption pouring out of the Shadow Temple. The cave was the chosen home of the Great Fairy of Ice and located behind exceptional natural fortifications, making it an excellent place for battle even if the ice underfoot was not particularly helpful. The name of the region came from the ancient Hylian word 'Tallus', or 'giant' - a reference to the immense size of the underground area (the same word is the origin of the names of the Talus Plateau and the elemental beings that inhabited Hyrule late in the Child Timeline). Unfortunately, the caves are now unable to be entered in the Child Timeline following an earthquake, though they remain accessible in the Downfall Timeline as far as can be known.

Compared to many other battles in this conflict, the Darknut attack was very one-sided in its outcome - the Shiekah won with very few casualties. The narrow entrance to the cave allowed archers to mow down the advancing troops with ease (especially since Darknuts are incapable of running at any great speed) and the few that did make it to the front lines were quickly dealt with by five rebels for each knight. If Hebra society had accepted defeat then it is a certainty that the commanding general would have ordered a retreat or preparations for a siege of starvation; however their society did not and so the resistance destroyed 800 Darknuts for the price of 23 men. Not a single Darknut escaped alive, every one of them marching to their death with some vague semblance of mortal bravery.

The attack on the northern resistance went just as well for the Darknut armies, which is to say _extremely_ badly. King Gustaf had chosen to use a three-part strategy to bring an end to his opponents, which I will quickly recount here. As the army approached Hyrule Castle for a siege they would be continually harried by archers on horseback who would be able to cause carnage with relative impunity (relative as 6 men of these units are recorded as dying from ambushes in this stage of the conflict). The second stage was the main siege itself, where similarly to the Battle of Talus Cave the advancing legions would be targeted by archers placed high upon the castle walls. _Unlike_ Talus Cave, this was not enough to prevent the Darknuts from reaching the walls, probably due to the aforementioned lack of magical artillery (archers were only so useful against heavily armored knights after all). At this time Hyrule Castle was without a moat and so the invaders were able to use siege ladders to devastating effect, as each Darknut on the walls was equal to three Hylian soldiers. Soon the low battlements had fallen and it looked as if the day had been lost, despite the bravery of the Hylians and the damage inflicted upon the enemy.

But then the King revealed the true power of the Light Force and won the day in an instant. Charging forward with his best men from the castle's mighty gates (which the Darknuts had been attempting to bring down with a battering ram), he cast a beam of magic that could be seen for miles _right in the center of the opposing army_ – rupturing their force in an instant. He followed this up by springing forward in the ensuring confusion and _decapitating_ the enemy General with the Picori Blade, iron, demonflesh and bone proving no match for the power of the Ancient Heroes reborn. For the first time in history, the Darknuts felt fear. They kept fighting however, for as mentioned Hebra society does not accept failure or defeat. It was a bloodbath for both sides, Hylians and Darknuts alike falling for little glory and less reward. Casulties were far higher for the invaders, for with the army split in two by the Hero and the Hylian archers remaining unbroken, any attempted advance could be quickly defeated by the defenders. The low battlements fell back into Hylian command as well and the disablement of the siege ladders meant that the invaders could not exert any true forward momentum on the battlefield.

It was another crushing defeat for the Darknuts, in two battles, the war had turned against them. The Hero alone had claimed a hundred kills. Soon enough the Hylians would advance from their strongholds, lift the siege on Castle Town and march for Hebra itself. Soon enough, surely…

But all sides still had their final moves to play in this war, designs and strategies that more than anything would set the shape of the future…

Are there any winners in war?

* * *

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

I've decided to divide what I had planned for this chapter into two parts, partly due to length and partly due to a nasty case of Writer's Block. So it's a bit shorter than usual, but hopefully the eventual third part will make up for that.

The opening quote comes directly from the Minish Cap opening (thanks YouTube!).

Subrosia is from the Oracle games, Hytopia is from Triforce Heroes.

The Picori Festival originates from the Minish Cap. We'll see it's start in the Hyrule Chapter after this war is done.

The courtyard in Hyrule Castle and the Sanctuary within are taken directly from the Minish Cap.

According to the game, Picori cannot be seen by adults so I've had to work around that.

Hyrule seems to have very little magical power, despite being High Fantasy. Picori seem to have a fair bit more so it was natural bridging point for their first meeting.

The Beamos and Armos would have been the ones from Skyward Sword, scavenged from the ruins of the Mining Facility and the Sandship. They will form the basis for the ones seen in Minish Cap, which is why the Picori are taking them now.

'The Light Force' are the remnants of Hylia's power here, to ensure that they work with the idea of it passing down the Royal Family.

Gorko Lake is from Breath of the Wild.

The Sheikah are great archers/magic users because of their portrayal in Breath of the Wild. Prior to that they did not have enough presence to make an accurate decision on their abilities.

Talus Cave is a dungeon from Four Swords which I've brought into the story early along with it's guardian fairy. In that game it was in the west of Hyrule, but the map for Four Swords lines up better with the other games if it assumed to take place only in the east of Hyrule. Probably.

Talus Plateau and the Talus enemy come from Breath of the Wild.

The Heroes have always been great warriors and Gustaf is no different.


	17. The Bound Chest (Hero of Men 3)

**The Story of Hyrule**  
 **The Bound Chest**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

With the destruction of the two Darknut armies, the tide of the war had changed in favour of the Hylian resistance. That does not mean that a victory would be easily won however, as the Legions of Hebra were still present in one powerful army currently sieging Hyrule Castle Town. And of course, the Darknuts were not the only threat to the sundered kingdom.

The first of these alternative problems was of course the unsealed Shadow Temple, which at the present time 'controlled' a large area of land around the Temple; a rough circle containing the Sheikah capital of Kakariko and much of the surrounding areas (parts of the future Eldin and Lanayru regions). This territory was expanding at a consistent rate, a process which involved the arrival of Bokoblins, Stalfos and worse to the affected areas. This 'conquest' was slow enough that much of the civilised population was able to flee if given prior warning, though the aftereffects would last for generations to come. At least one horror unleashed by the gaping pit (a 'Dead-Hand') would survive until the Era of the Hero of Time, when said Hero would slay it deep within Kakariko's Well.

A reader might be wondering why the invasion of horrors from the Shadow Temple was limited in its expanse by an invisible barrier. After all, Bokoblins and many other of the demonic tribes are sentient (to an extent) and so could surely have ranged outside of the 'Great Shadow's' power; this would have prevented as much of the population from escaping at the very least. Surviving records inform us that for whatever reason the demons of the Shadow Temple could not leave its area of influence. This was perhaps due to the influence of the 'Shadow' itself, the beast wishing to retain control of its minions. That would certainly explain the presence of Cursed Bokoblins and other undead, who as we know are unable they tread far from the cursed battlegrounds that spawned them. There is also the possibility that the life-force of the demons had in some way become tied to Hylia's prison, a theory that corresponds with the popular theory of the 'Great Shadow' being born from the combined hatred of the imprisoned demons.

The second problem for the Hylian resistance was that of the scavengers who had followed in the Darknuts' wake - the Lizalfos Tribes from beyond the modern day Tabantha Frontier. These had been persistent enemies to the Kingdom of Hyrule, though never to a large extent due to the Hylian Kingdom's strong military. Truthfully they had been limited to raiding and occasional slave trading, with only the western border villages ever being at risk of attack. The problem had been so small that the monarchs of Hyrule had never thought to solve the issue, leaving the tribes free to flourish in Hyrule's shadow. Occasionally a squad of Hylian soldiers would have to beat back an attack if the Lizards got too greedy; but those were rare occasions and Hyrule was too big to care about a few destroyed farms on its borders.

And then the Darknuts came and changed everything. The Hylian army was crushed, much of the population killed or driven into exile - leaving nothing for the Lizalfos tribes to compete against (aside from each other of course). Only the Wind Tribe remained of pre-War Hyrule and they were far too isolationist to claim any more territory (and far too strong to be attacked). The Lizards were shocked at this sudden change in their fortunes, but were quick to capitalise by summoning their levies and following the legions of Hebra into the rotting corpse of Western Hyrule. Pickings were slim in terms of slaves due to the massive genocide committed by the Darknuts, but the capture of territory and materials was excellent - in one month the tribes grew more richer than they had in decades. They would certainly not return this boon willingly.

As it happens, the surviving Hylian factions were not yet aware of this other problem and would not learn until a few days prior to the Battle of Castle Town. Even then they would be unable to do much about the situation, so much so that certain areas would remain under Lizalfos control for the entire Force Era. Regular slave raids would be conducted deep into Hyrule's heart, a situation that doubtless led to the great divide in prosperity between the western and eastern provinces.

The Hylian resistance also faced the issue of the Goron Civil War, a conflict that ensured the rock-tribes could not assist one of their ancient allies (as they had previously in conflicts such as the Ancient Battle and the War of the First Sage). Goron society had been divided into five factions, each supporting a claimant for the position of patriarch. Two of these had been forced out of the Eldin region and had therefore begun to fight the Darknut forces who directly attacked them, but refused to do any more. The succession of Goron City needed to be solved first – only then could the leaders come to assist their allies. Some readers might screech at the perceived idiocy of this statement; surely the Gorons would be in such low numbers after a war that they would be unable to defend themselves, let alone attack! But such a belief misunderstands the ritualistic nature of Goron combat. Actively killing an opponent of an allied species is considered the height of dishonour, even the act of crippling is frowned upon as unjust. As the great historian Gorko put it:

 _'_ _To harm a Brother is to harm the tribe. In a world such as this, the tribe needs all of us – to farm, to mine, to protect, to lead. Harm one part and all is harmed. Death cannot be undone.'_

His words have proven strangely prophetic, as even is this age undead Gorons are utterly impossible to create (though ghosts are another matter entirely). 'Brother' of course, is the Goron term for those of the tribe with the title also being granted to those of other races who have proven themselves allies (such as the Hero of Time). Goron (or 'Goro') itself actually translates as 'Brother' when put into modern Hylian. This reflects a key facet of Goron society – All Gorons of the tribe are regarded as siblings by one another (with the exception of parents and children). And as Kinslaying is a great crime in Hylian society, so is it in that of the rock tribes.

This stigma against killing carried across into the civil war (which is in all honesty a fairly poor name), where a patriarch was instead required to capture or turn an enemy faction to ensure their defeat. The advantage of this was that deaths in the conflict were extremely limited - indeed one of the three recorded was due to old age; but the major issue was that this 'ritual war' dragged on for months. By the time a victor (named Darnus) has emerged, the Hylian-Darknut war had already entered its final stages. The Acro-Bandit situation had also gone fully out of control, with packs of the devolved Mogmas taking up residence throughout eastern Hyrule (a situation that similarly to the Lizalfos problem would not be solved for centuries).

Combined, all these problems ensured that the Hylian resistance could not expect that any allies would come to their aid. They were on their own against the final Darknut army, only _they_ would be willing to lift the siege on Castle Town. Granted they had a reincarnation of the Hero of Legend leading them, armed with a magical sword nonetheless – but they were still ridiculously underpowered compared to their foe. King Gustaf knew this and so set himself to the task of strategy once again, pouring over potential plans for a period of time that lost him any element of surprise. For a time he considered using the Triforce against his foe, but relented due to the self-acknowledgment that he was likely unworthy of it – he desired its power above all, the three virtues required were not yet in balance within his soul.

But the art of magic should never be discounted in a battle. Hyrule Castle's blacksmiths and enchanters had learnt much from the Picori and so proposed something spectacular, a creation that would stun even the gods. Of course, such a creation required many materials for its construction – artefacts that were themselves very powerful, but ones that if successfully tamed could be used to end the war. They were five in number:

1) A Chest of significant strength, which in this scenario was a Goddess Chest brought down previously from Skyloft (one of 27 identical artefacts of Hylia).

2) A Demonic Artefact to act as a beacon – the armor of a Darknut general was used for this purpose.

3) An artefact connected to the user – the Hero of Men used a ring belonging to his mother for this purpose.

4) An exceptional material for reinforcement purposes, which here became the rare metal known as 'Master Ore' (rumour states that it's use here is why Hyrule has very little of the substance compared to our mirror world of Lorule).

5) An Artefact of Sealing.

The First three of these materials were easy to procure; the chest being part of the Royal Archives, the Darknut armour having been taken from the dead and Gustaf keeping his mother's ring on his person. The other two were much more difficult to gather however and would require some travel before they were retrieved.

Usually if the Hylians were looking for ore they would have immediately asked the Gorons of Death Mountain for help. Unfortunately, that solution to the problem was now unavailable for the reasons stated above. Death Mountain was also highly volcanic which would make any mining extremely hazardous. To circumvent this issue, a Hylian party was sent to the substantially less volcanic Mt Crenel located in the west of Hyrule. A mine (nicknamed 'The Cave of Flames') had been in existence on that mountain for about a decade prior to the war, previously belonging to a joint Hylian/Goron mining group before they were forced off the mountain by an extreme infestation of Tektikes. Interestingly enough, this mine had got very close to the buried location of the Fire Element. Though it would take many weeks until they uncovered the necessary ore, the operation was successful and returned to Hyrule Castle in high spirits.

Meanwhile the Hero of Men headed to the south on his own, accompanied by only his horse Epona and the Picori Blade. The original plan for the retrieval of a fifth artefact had been to infiltrate Castle Town through the sewers constructed during the reign of Gustaf's father (they would later to be replaced by King Rusall I after the Second Hylian Civil War) and thereby gain access to the buried Sky Keep. It was hoped that the remnants of the Sealing Spike used on Demise could be found there and reused for this purpose – only for that plan to fall through when the remaining parts were discovered to have collapsed into dust some time prior to the war, probably from having the weight of the Statue of the Goddess dropped on it. The sewers would be used with mild success to smuggle food into the besieged capital, but in the end the diversion here proved useless.

The question therefore was whether there were any other great seals in Hyrule that could be used instead. The seal on the Triforce was automatically discounted for being far too dangerous to remove in a period such as this, though even if that hadn't have been the case it is unlikely that they would have destroyed the Master Sword. There was another candidate…but it's location was extremely troublesome to put it lightly. As I mentioned in the part entitled 'The Darknut Invasion', the Shadow Temple had been locked away by another Sealing Spike – an artefact also created by the Goddess Hylia and one that might be in good enough condition for the smiths of Hyrule Castle to reuse. By this point in the war, word of how the unsealing had occurred had travelled to Hyrule Castle and so King Gustaf rode off once again to the east this time. Armed with the Picori Blade and the Light Force he was a match for any danger of the region; Cursed Bokoblins and other monstrosities easily falling before his might. It did however take him a while, which allowed other forces to make their own moves.

The remaining Darknut Army had not been idle while the Hylians made their plans. Understanding that two thirds of their number were now dead, the demon-spawn had begun the construction of fortifications around Castle Town which would allow them to control the course of any battle. They had also systematically begun to raze all the fields in central Hyrule to prevent an attacking army from feeding off the land (this tactic is directly responsible for the layer of ash that can be found buried in the soil of the region). Most worringly of all, word had been sent back to Hebra summoning another army to provide reinforcements for when the final battle came. Any attempt to remove the Darknuts from around Castle Town was going to be profoundly difficult.

When the Hero of Men finally reached the entrance to the Shadow Temple, he was disturbed to realise that he would need to enter it as something had dragged the other sealing spike inside the temple. Much like the journey conducted by his descendant countless years later, this was not an easy task – but he did so, fighting off hordes of the imprisoned and dodging the many traps of the ancient prison. Not much is known of his thought on the place, though it is noticeable that the page in his journal that should have corresponded with this has obviously been torn out. The legends of the Shadow Temple do state that it shows a person his greatest fears. In the deepest part of the temple, King Gustaf confronted the Great Shadow Beast of disputable origin. He granted it a name, titling it as the 'Darghini' – a combination of the Ancient Hylian for 'Dark' and 'Ghost'; possibly a small clue to the entity's nature. With the holy power of the Light Force, Gustaf succeeded in banishing the being from existence after a long battle – though other entities of its nature would appear in future eras.

From its chamber, the Hero recovered the shattered sealing spike and returned with it to Hyrule Castle; though not before placing a makeshift seal on the Shadow Temple to keep its horrors temporarily at bay. He would return later to improve on his work, guided through spirit by the Legendary Sage Rauru. Thanks to these measures, the Sheikah Tribe could return to their homes from Talus Cave and begin the process of rebuilding their lives – though Kakariko was from then on forbidden to all Hylians in memory of the devastation inflicted by their race.

With all the required artefacts collected, the smiths of Hyrule could finally begin their work – a project that took them three days; due to both the difficulty of what they were trying to create and the resilience of the objects, some more so than others. But they succeeded and presented King Gustaf with the sum of their work; a simple purple chest. Or at least that was how it appeared from the outside, for in reality the chest was merely the threshold to an inescapable _prison_. The 'prison' existed on its own plain of existence within the chest, a fact that made it nearly impervious to interference and that would centuries later inspire the Mirror of Twilight. The smiths called it 'The Bound Chest' and revealed that if it was placed it a significantly strong magical location – a spring of thaumaturgic energy essentially – it would be able to capture the souls of _all demons in Hyrule_ and imprison them for eternity within its depths (the eternity part of course didn't come true, though not due to a fault on the part of the chest).

The problem now was that there was only one 'spring' in Hyrule – the Temple of Time. Which was in the city currently being besieged by the Darknuts. Of course, this wouldn't have been that much of a problem had the Knights of Hebra not discovered the sewer entrance and thereby forced the resistance within the city to seal it off. With the sewer entrance closed, the only way into the city was through the main gates which were directly behind the strongest part of the Darknut fortifications. High walls of wood and stone surrounded the city, all of them playing host to constant patrols that would prevent any aid coming to the besieged city. The Darknuts had not intended to be attacked here – they were still waiting for their reinforcements to arrive – but the fortifications ensured that they could control the tide of any battle an enemy foolishly started. The Hylians undoubtedly knew this, but had no choice but to attack now.

And so, they did. It was only a single army that marched against their enemies, the resistance did not have enough men left to make splitting a plausible option. They marched directly against the main gate with all their might – infantry, archers, any remaining siege equipment – knowing that they only had to allow the Hero enough time to get inside the Temple and perform the ritual. It was a bloody victory nonetheless. The Darknuts were called not the masters of their art for nothing; the slow progression of the battle allowed each one to gain a dozen kills at least. It took a monumental effort from the Hylian forces to smash the gate open and even then the fighting was worse than fierce. The Light Force allowed King Gustaf to strike down any Darknuts who threatened him or the chest, but he could hardly be everywhere and the Darknuts were far from stupid. At the sight of their king approaching, the resistance within Castle Town opened their own gates to allow him access. Unfortunately, this also allowed the enemy access and they were willing to risk much to stop the Hero. 50 of the knights set to slaughtering their way into the city, many of them heading towards the Hylian's own siege weapons with the intent of turning their allegiance.

In the meantime, the Hero and his guards charged into the Temple of Time; carrying the Bound Chest within the sight of the Master Sword herself. With guidance from Rauru, King Gustaf set to work – casting spells in strange tongues over the chest. Slowly it opened, rays of blue light emitting from it to fill the cavernous chamber. The ground rumbled, the wind blew, above Castle Town the clouds formed into a mighty stormcloud. To their credit, the Darknuts instantly realised something was wrong and prepared to fire on the Temple to stop this holy magic.

But they were too late. Far, far too late. In a mere second, the space inside the chest glowed white – as did every Darknut or other demon in the land of Hyrule. And then as one they vanished into their prison. The Hero slammed the chest shut and forced his blade inside as a seal, trapping all evil away from his kingdom. Outside, the men and women cheered in realisation of their victory.

The War had been won.

 _The Legend Unfolds…_

* * *

Eldin and Lanayru are regions from Breath of the Wild. They've been included here as the location for Kakariko Village due to the map location of Kakariko in BOTW (West Necluda) not matching up with Ocarina of Time. Therefore, the town in BOTW cannot be the original one…probably. I'm saying it isn't.

The Dead Hand is the one from Ocarina of Time. The well would later come to be known as 'The Well of Three Features' and for some reason have a torture dungeon underneath it.

Cursed Bokoblins are from Skyward Sword, they've been brought back here since in game they only appeared in 'corrupted' locations (namely the Ancient Cistern and Sky Keep).

Tabantha is from Breath of the Wild. For more on the Lizalfos tribes, see 'The Ancient Tribe' and 'The People of the Wind'.

Western Hyrule (except in the Downfall timeline) has usually been the less prosporous side of Hyrule. In Minish Cap the farms and houses of the Hylian population are all confined to East Hyrule, which this is meant to tie into.

Gorko is from Skyward Sword. The 'ghost' referenced is Darmani from Majora's Mask. 'Darnus' is a corruption of Dar _bus_ from Twilight Princess.

'Goro' is a saying that's occasionally popped up in earlier games from the Gorons and the idea of it meaning 'brother' just seemed to fit.

Acro-Bandits are a _persistent_ annoyance in the eastern regions during Minish Cap. Here's the reason.

The three virtues are Wisdom, Power and Courage. If they aren't equal in the heart of someone trying to claim the Triforce, then it will split (see Ocarina of Time).

Goddess Chests are from Skyward Sword and were directly made by Hylia, Master Ore is from A Link between Worlds and is used to improve the Master Sword. I considered using the three sacred metals from Phantom Hourglass in place of the latter, but decided against it as Hyrule and Lorule have much more in common than the World of the Ocean King does to either.

The Cave of Flames is from Minish Cap, as are the Tektikes. **And my undying hatred for said jumpy things.**

King Rusall is the off-screen King from Ocarina of Time. I've used this name for him as a un-corruption of the name Rusl, from Twilight Princess. The sewers are a direct nod to TP, and the Second Hylian Civil War is the one that occurs in the backstory of that and OoT.

The name Darghini had been invented by me for this, from a combination of the enemy names for Darknut and Ghini (who are indeed some sort of ghost in canon).

The Mirror of Twilight is from Twilight Princess.


	18. The Era of Prosperity

**The Story of Hyrule**  
 **The Era of Prosperity**

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

It takes a while for a nation to recover from any war forced upon them, especially when the fields used for battle are their own. Hyrule was no different; the scars inflicted by the War of the Bound Chest were severe and would not truly heal for centuries. The west would remain underpopulated from now until eons later, while in other places demonic or monstrous populations would find lairs to lay down roots and from there feed on the shattered kingdom. Many other sources call this period 'The Era of Prosperity'; but I would consider that a better name for this period of three centuries is 'The Era of Remembrance'; taking its name in honor of the ancient festival of the Picori. I call it this in reference to the aftermath of the war and the immense changes this calamity would bring.

This period of Hyrule's history was the domain of five famous monarchs; Gustaf, Zelda II (not the famous 'sleeping princess'), Groose, Orielle and Daltus. The bards prefer to remember this quintet of rulers by the various monikers applied to them in later eras, rather than their given names; respectively 'The Hero', 'The Fair', 'The Merry', 'The Rider' and 'The Swordsmaster'. The origin of King Gustaf's name is already known to us of course (see the previous three chapters), but for the other four we must delve slightly deeper into Hyrule's forgotten lore. We will do that very shortly. As for Gustaf himself, his later reign was filled with conflict as multiple areas of Hyrule had descended into anarchy. Not the sort of man who would command from afar, he would regularly ride into battle against his kingdom's enemies - the power of the Light Force proving instrumental in protecting what was left of Hyrule, though he was now devoid of the Picori Blade. The Light Force would be passed down through his bloodline, though it was strongest in princesses of the Royal House. A common theory is that this 'favoritism' is due to the lingering bloodline of Hylia, which is quite plausible.

Gustaf was also responsible for the repairs to both Hyrule Castle and Castle Town, a task which he oversaw tremendously. While the town remained virtually unchanged from its prior design (a library was built, along with some improved sewers), Hyrule Castle was extensively remodeled; new exterior walls were built, along with a crypt and the first version of the castle's famous gardens. He would spend the final years of his life there, dying approximately 42 years after the War from lingering battle wounds.

Zelda II's reign is not particular notable, which is not necessarily a terrible thing considering what some rulers are remembered for. She ruled fairly and under her rulership certain areas of Hyrule were made fully traversable again, though these did not extend far from the remaining settlements. The first proper books of law arose in this era, though they are vastly different in many areas than those of today, since this Hyrule was a very suspicious and insular society following the multiple calamities. It is perhaps ironic then, that the Picori Festival was founded during Zelda's reign in honor of a group of 'outsiders'. The festival was held on the first day of spring each year and resolved around a large market, along with a sword-fighting competition. The victor of the competition would receive a weapon crafted by the finest smith in the land, along with the honor of touching the Picori Blade. The hidden door to the Picori World would also open every hundred years, though Zelda would not live to see that happen in her lifetime as she died of illness in the 33rd year of her reign. Her eldest son Groose would inherit the throne. The other of her two sons (whose name is unknown) would start his own family, a detail that is important later in this chapter.

It is around this period that the Wind Tribe retreated fully to the heavens, desiring isolation from the affairs of the surface. They would achieve this using the Wind Element (which went with them) and came to occupy a series of clouds and other levitating structures near Veil Falls, which were Hyrule's largest known waterfalls at that time. Their buildings on the surface were abandoned and swiftly fell to disrepair and an infestation of monsters, though the main entrance remained blocked behind several giant stone faces. Castor Wilds in turn also lost nearly all traces of civilization, though the bridges created by the Wind Tribe would endure for several more generations.

King Groose was the longest reigning of these five monarchs, ruling over a period of 62 years before his sudden death of liver failure. He is most well known for his fearsome appetite, though he was a tremendous archer in his youth. Unlike many other monarchs of Hyrule, he preferred to live among the townsfolk of Castle Town and sort out their opinions on many of his actions. This quite possibly presented an impression of uncertainty and slothfulness to his subjects, though his generosity ensured that he remained beloved by all. The multiple beverages that are credited to him (accurately or not) also helped. He was also responsible for the starting of a proper school within Castle Town for those not wishing to join the military, along with the major's office to allow the settlement some autonomy. His reign saw a thaw in Hyrule's relation with other species and tribes, with one result of this being that Gorons were once again being allowed into Hyrule proper to seek work.

Groose was also unique in the manner of his burial. He refused to be buried within Royal Valley and instead insisted of a quiet burial out in the wilderness, away from civilization. It has been suggested that this is due to the rise in Golden Goddess worship over Hylia, a faith that stated souls were meant to return to Faron after death, but the truth is unknown. What is known is that multiple copies of his grave quickly appeared around Hyrule, all bearing the same unusual mark. It is theorized that this occurrence was connected to the Wind Tribe, but if so the reason cannot be explained.

Groose's daughter Orielle was radically different in temperament from her father, as she preferred the open road to the comfort of civilization. Her reign is by far the shortest and the least recorded, since it lasted barely 6 years and ended in her death in a Bokoblin attack. She was known as a well-regarded cartographer and breeder of horses, but even in her own time was less popular than most of her predecessors. Perhaps this is because she came to the throne relatively young (Groose had difficulty conceiving a heir) and never particularly cared for it.

She was succeeded herself by her only son, King Daltus. Barely a teenager himself, he experienced a long regency under the mayor of Hyrule and his great-uncle while he grew to adulthood. The latter brought his own young son to court, a boy names Smith who quickly became the growing Daltus' friend and confident. Both were excellent swordsmen and competed for of touching the Picori Blade, though Smith was perhaps slightly better since he won a year before Daltus. He was a fine, though unspectacular king who focused mainly on stabilizing the economy of the kingdom since King Groose's generosity had practically emptied the treasury. Aside from that however, he is most known for the difficulty he had in conceiving a child. The reason for this was unknown, but it would trouble the king endlessly as he dearly wished for children. This perhaps is the reason behind several public works dedicated to children, such as the improvements to Hyrule's library and schooling system. Still, his own failure depressed Daltus, as did the success of Smith in having two daughters.

Daltus' reign is notable however for bearing witness to the rise of a popular Hylian folk hero, the legendary 'Swiftblade the First'. A legendary swordsmaster, Swiftblade's ballad (which I will not repeat here due to it's length) tells of his many great quests throughout Hyrule and as far flung as Hebra and the distant coast (though he could never find his way to Termina). They also tell of his lost love and his despair that they would never be reunited in the land of the living. It is unknown how he died, though the apparent location of Castor Wilds may hold the answer.

It was not until the 43rd year of King Daltus' reign that a child was finally born to him, a daughter who he named Zelda after his ancestors. As coincidence would have it, Smith was also granted a grandson by the Gods that year, who was named _Link_ in memory of the ancient hero...

 _The Legend Unfolds..._

* * *

Not much to say about this chapter, to be honest.

The names of Zelda II, Groose and Orielle are taken from Skyward Sword, as are some loose character traits for all of them.

The improvments to Hyrule Castle and the Town are from Minish Cap, as are the events at Castor Wilds/The Wind Ruins. The Wind Tribe's new home is 'Cloud Tops' as well as the Palace of Winds from that game.

The Picori Festival happens in game and the 'hundred years' cycle is too.

Groose's many gravestones are meant to be the Wind Crests from the aforementioned game. They were probably created by the Wind Tribe, though the Picori may have been involved.

Swiftblade is a character (ghost) from Minish Cap.

Note: On the Ancestry of Link and Zelda

In this chapter, we see the 'Heroic Bloodline' (eg. Link) split away from the Royal Bloodline to form its own separate branch. Smith is Link's grandfather from Minish Cap and since he and Daltus are mentioned as friends, I thought waiting until now to make the split was best since it makes the friendship between a king/prince and a Blacksmith more understandable. Technically, Smith is Orielle's cousin rather than Daltus's but _ehhhhhh…_


	19. Hyrule Bestiary Part 1

****The Hyrule Bestiary**  
The Era of the Sky to the Force Era**

 **Acro-Bandits (Ak-ro)**

Of all the enemies of Hyrule, the 'Acro-Bandits' may be the most pitiable, for their very existence is a painful one and a great tragedy for their kind. Formerly known as the Mogma Race and native to the Death Mountain/Eldin Volcano region, the species was perhaps the one worst hit by the invasion of the Demon Tribes. Their once substantial numbers were vastly reduced, so much so that their kind began to suffer from the dire effects of inbreeding. This tragedy did not only rob them of their minds - reducing them to barbarians - but their bodies as well, devolving them into stocky misshapen creatures with sickly yellow coats of fur. The corruption of their minds also twisted their love for gold and jewels into an obsessive desire for them, leading them into banditry and crime.

The species finally went extinct midway through the Force Era, though rumors of their survival persisted for several centuries afterwards.

 **Ampilus (Amp-ee-lus)**

The Ampilus are a species of large crustaceans native to the former Lanayru Desert, known predominantly for their curious ability to create an internalized electrical field from a very young age. They are long lived creatures (though not quite to the extent of the Arachas), with single specimens being recorded as living for hundreds of years. Juveniles confine themselves to their 'eggs' (in reality more akin to a chrysalis) for the majority of their first year; only beginning to move under their own power after a 10 month period, where their bodies develop a hard protective covering. They are notoriously territorial creatures but only exist on a diet of the bugs native to the desert.

They survive to this day in both the Downfall and Child Timelines, though have been driven extinct in Hyrule by the Gerudo Tribe, who in ancient times saw the killing of a Ampilus as an act of courage.

 **Aracha (Ah-rach-ah)/Moldarach (Mold-ah-rack)**

Another long lived native of the deserts, the Aracha species are akin to giant scorpions in appearance and in behavior. Young Arachas (born in groups of a hundred) are pale brown in color with a relatively soft exoskeleton. They survive in nests scattered throughout the desert regions, often hidden within caves or old buildings where they can hide from the harsh sunlight. Pubescent Arachas are rarely seen due to extended periods of hibernation, but fully grown 'adults' of the species - often known as Moldarachs - are more notable. This reemergence reportedly happens after a thousand year period, by which time the Aracha's exoskeleton has developed into a tough black carapace impervious to sword strikes. After this point, they generally confine themselves to a personal nest with no company aside from their offspring (the species is asexual), where they feed off anything unlucky enough to enter their domain.

They have survived to the present day in the Downfall Timeline, but have gone extinct in the Child Timeline due to competition from other predators.

 **Armos Guard (Ah-moss)/Eyegore (I-gore)**

These two constructs have been included here together due to their strong similarities, though they are not in fact truly related. The Armos Guards and Eyegores are creations of the Ancient Robots and Wind Tribe respectively, built for the purpose of defending their territories in Lanayru Desert and Castor Wilds. In terms of their creation they are quite different, as the former is a mechanical creation while the latter is magical in origin. However, they operate in a similar manner and the Wind Tribe may have been inspired to create the Eyegores through records of the earlier constructs.

The original versions of both these constructs are no longer in use, with the only 'survivors' being the remnants of an original Armos in the Royal Archives (Downfall and Child Timelines). However, similar creations appear in all timelines under either of the original names. A demon mistaken for an Eyegore is also known to have been native to Termina at one point in the Child Timeline, though it's kind may have gone extinct since.

 **Armos 'Knights' (Ah-moss)**

Note: the name used here is only given to differentiate them from the above entry. In the actual records they are simply referred to as Armos.

The Armos 'Knights' discussed here are a subset of the main series of Armos Constructs, that are armed with spear and shield rather than the mere force of their own bodies. They were first recorded as present in the Wind Ruins, constructed by the Picori as a gift to the Wind Tribe. They were mechanical in origin, though magic may have been involved as a power source - it is unclear due to no surviving relics. Variations of this design appear later on in the Force Era, though they appear to have gone rogue.

Other constructs bearing the name of Armos have appeared throughout the ages. Armos Knights are a particular subset of those, some of which happen to function identically to the 'Knights' of the Force Era.

 **Beamos (Beam-os)**

Mechanical or magical constructs closely related to the Armos 'family', Beamos are employed throughout the world as sentries. Most species have used the constructs at one point in their history, with the possible exception of the Zora and the Minish. The First Beamos were used as security mechanisms by the Ancient Robots of Lanayru, where they existed in both mobile and stationary varieties. They attacked by firing an electric beam at intruders, a feature that has persisted across the generations. Similar technology has occurred in other mechanical beings, such as with the Guardians unearthed during the Era of Calamity. The Beamos themselves have been recreated by both mechanisms and magic, though they would only begin to see common use in other places after the Force Era.

The Beamos persist in the Adult Timeline, but appear to have faded into obscurity in the Child and Downfall Realities. That situation is a likely result of the land not recovering from the collapse of Hylian civilization.

 **Bob-omb (Boh-bomb)/Bombarossa (Bom-bah-ross-ah)**

Products of an Minish experiment into sentient artillery, the Bob-ombs and Bombarossas are security mechanisms designed to trouble trespassers and thieves. They are both designed to explode upon contact, with the primary difference between the two being how they behave; Bob-ombs will charge at any intruder, while Bombarossa's will patrol set paths.

They are no longer found in Hyrule, though several Bob-ombs did appear in the dream world of Koholint Island.

 **Bokoblin (of Normal and Cursed Varieties) (Bo-ko-blin)**

During the 'Ancient Battle', the Bokoblin species of demon formed the footsoldiers of Demise's armies. Since then they have spread all over the world, forming their own settlements and civilisations wherever the opportunity presents itself, often with Moblins alongside. Depending on the tribe, they can have mastered anything from stone to metal crafting while displaying a level of ingenuity that even a civilized race would find astonishing. Bokoblins are social creatures and their settlements can have anywhere from ten to fifty members, with the strongest of them taking the role of chief. They are known to have their own language (shared with the Moblins), though it is unpronounceable by Hylians. Hunting, play fighting and sleeping are considered excellent pastimes by the species. They are hostile to other races, though in most cases they are content to live in their own privacy unless recruited by a great warlord or Demon Lord/King. Cursed Bokoblins are a variety of undead that has somehow returned to live due to their obsession with undergarments.

They survive extremely well in the all Timelines, though have migrated out of Hyrule in the Downfall Timeline to seek better pastures.

 **ChuChu (of Green, Blue (Water), Red (Fire or Rock), Yellow (Electricity) and Grey (Spiny/Metal) Varieties) (Chu-Chu)**

ChuChus are perhaps the strangest common entity in Hyrule's history, since their very existence defies belief. They are not a natural animal, yet they are neither of demonic origin. They are magical in nature, but not deliberately – suggesting that their kind simply appeared without reason or cause. Regardless, ChuChus were widespread throughout Hyrule from the Sky Era onwards, though they rarely seem to keep to a consistent appearance or size. Existing as sentient pools of slime, the Chus feed by absorbing other matter into them and 'reproduce' by splitting into multiple entities. They are very territorial and will attack without provocation, though they can usually be felled with relative ease. However they have a tendency to absorb the elements common to their locale, such as fire in a volcano or metal within a mine. How they do this is unknown, but the probable cause is due to them absorbing the elements through their normal feeding process.

They exist to the present day in two timelines, but appear to have gone extinct in the Downfall Timeline for unknown causes. It is possible they have simply migrated, as ChuChus are known to inhabit places other than Hyrule such as Termina. They are certainly native to all climates.

 **Cloud Piranha**

A species of 'Flying Fish' that existed in the Force Era, that is believed to have migrated into Hyrule's airspace sometime after the last known Loftwing sightings. They were vicious creatures, that primarily acted in a comparable manner to sharks – though with the substitution of water for cloud. According to the records, Cloud Piranha's had a strong exoskeleton over the upper half of their body, but suffered from a weak underbelly that could be exploited by other animals such as the Skytails mentioned below. They were considered a menace by the people of the Wind Tribe, who were certainly involved in their extinction. Little else is known about them, due to their preferred environment.

Cloud Piranha are extinct in Hyrule, along with most of the flying animals from the first eras. Overhunting by the Wind Tribe is certainly a cause for this, though there may be other factors at play as well.

 **Cranioc (Crane-ee-ok)**

A species of territorial fish, Craniocs are easily identifiable by their large bulbous heads. These are used both to attract potential mates and for attacking. This latter process involves the fish charging at it's victim and attempting to stun them with the force of it's body, so that the Cranoic can feast without danger. They are however fairly stupid creatures and will attack anything including boats, which explains why they are never seen in great numbers. They were known predators of the Parella species in ancient times and preferred mild environments.

They are extinct in modern Hyrule due to a rise in competing predatory species.

 **Darknut (Dark-nut)/ Fallen Hylians**

Darknuts, or 'Dark-brothers' are the result of attempts by various Demon Lords to breed Hylians and Demons together during the 'Ancient Battle'. This blending of blood has led to the Darknuts living in perpetual agony, a fact that has led them to resent the other sentient races. They especially hate the Hylian species and will readily join any war against the Kingdom of Hyrule. Darknut Kingdoms (such as the former Kingdom of Hebra) are run as military theocracies, where the commanding generals of the armies are also the High Priests of Demise (revered as a god) and the heads of state. They are a very militaristic race that values strength and duty above all other virtues, along with devotion to the destruction of the other races. Honor is also valued, though they have a rather different interpretation than that of most races. Darknuts are always dressed in thick armor that conceals the features of the demonkin within, though from the remains of the soldiers during the War of the Bound Chest, it is known that their skin is a mottled grey color. Red eyes are also common, though some have been reported as bearing eyes identical to those of a normal Hylian.

Darknuts are extinct in the Adult Timeline due to the Great Flood and the Child Timeline due to the Great Calamity. They endure in the Downfall Timeline.

 **Deku Baba (Deh-ku Bah-ba)/Quadro Baba (Quad-ra Bah-ba)**

The Deku Baba's are a species of carnivorous plants native to Hyrule's forested regions. They are highly dangerous and cunning, but suffer from many weaknesses due to their plant nature. Firstly, they are blind and so will sense potential prey through sound, which can make them very vunerable to the use of bombs as they will attempt to devourer the active explosive. They are also rooted to the ground (in this era) and will die if their stem is cut. They are also vulnerable to and afraid of fire. Quadro Babas are a subspecies of the Deku Babas that have evolved to be much tougher.

They are extinct in the Downfall and Child Timelines (aside from possibly in the City of the Sky), but have adapted well to life in wooded islands of the Great Sea.

 **Demons**

Demons are not technically a species, but I have included an entry for them in general to address the terrible effect they have had on the world's history. Many of Hyrule's greatest tragedies can be linked to the aftermath of the 'Ancient Battle'; from early events such as the War of the Bound Chest and the rises of Ganondorf and Vaati, to later history such as the Great Flood and the creation of the Dark World. Even the timeline split is a direct result of Demise's invasion of this world. The Demon Tribes themselves are many and include multiple species that have wrought a terrible toll on the civilized races. They include such as the Bokoblins, the Bublins, the Moblins, the Octoroks, the Hinox and the Demon Lords referred to below. Other creatures have also been granted the title of demon through the ages however, such as those created (Stalfos, Staldra, Darknuts) or those who have ascended to demonhood (Ganon, Vaati, possibly Bongo Bongo). Universally these creatures radiate a dark aura that tends to corrupt both the bodies and the minds of the innocent. While there are 'good' demons, they are the exception rather than the rule.

 **Demon Lords**

Demon Lords are a sub-class of the greater demon species that refers to those individuals who either served as the warlords of Demise's army or have 'ascended' to the title since due to their control of other demons. They are not many in number thankfully, but several still remain at large in the current eras of all timelines. Almost all of their confirmed deaths have been delivered at the hand of the Legendary Heroes. Known Demon Lords are:

 **Demise (Demon King):** Deceased, though quasi-reincarnated as Ganondorf/Ganon.

 **Ghirahim (Sword Spirit):** Presumed dead in all Timelines

 **Malladus (Self-titled Demon King):** Deceased in the Child and Adult Timelines, imprisoned in the Downfall Timeline.

 **Bellum:** Deceased in the Adult Timeline, at large in both others.

 **Majora:** Deceased, though his remnants remain active in the Downfall and Adult Timelines (presumably).

 **The Lord of Wrath:** Deceased, though the whereabouts of his remnants is unknown.

 **The Trickster:** Unknown.

 **Ganondorf (Demon King):** Permanently deceased in the Adult Timeline, currently deceased in the other two.

 **Vaati:** Deceased in the Child and Adult Timelines, imprisoned in the Downfall Timeline.

 **Floormaster/Wallmaster  
**  
Floormaster and Wallmasters (also known collectively as 'Hands of Demise') are spirits of demonic origin, that are infamous for taking the appearance of necrotic hands (no relation to the 'Dead Hand' creature). Their naming is based upon the attack strategy of the specific creature; Floormasters will lurk on the ground while Wallmasters will leap down from the ceiling to attack unwary adventurers. Both however will deal with a captured victim in the same way, namely by violently sapping most of their life energy and throwing them from the dungeon. Thankfully they are confined exclusively to abandoned buildings, though they are especially fond of temples and dungeons with a grim history. Some also possess the ability to turn invisible and there are suggestions that a small few possess resurrective abilities or minor sentience (see the entity known as 'Knucklemaster' from the Era of Light and Dark).

Both entities continue to thrive in all timelines. A 'sub-species' emerged in the Era of the Great Sea, but I will discuss that in its own section.

 **Froak (Fro-k)**

Froaks are known to have been among the earliest creatures of the world, due to the survival of cave paintings and carvings dated to earlier than the Ancient Battle. They were both airborne and underwater based creatures, who moved about via a special set of weight-controlling organs contained within their spherical bodies (these organs also had the side effect of causing them to explode upon dying). Upon facing a threat, the Froak would swell up akin to a pufferfish to ward off any physical attacks. Their mating habits are not known, though it is speculated that the animal is genderless.

They were until recently thought to have gone extinct, but as of ten years ago an ocean colony has been discovered bearing a great resemblance to these foes of the Hero of Legend.

 **Furnix (Furn-eex)**

The Furnix (also known as 'The Bird of Paradise') were magnificent birds native to early Hyrule, famed for their magnificent plumage and highly territorial nature. Close relatives to the Loftwing and Hrok, the birds are known to have mated for life and often roosted in hard to reach places. They are known to have been capable to breathing fire (thanks to some mutated saliva glands) and would readily do so to any who dared threaten their nests. Despite this, they were fairly stupid birds and therefore easy kills for any aspiring hunter due to their failure to understand ranged weaponry.

They are known to have gone extinct a few centuries after the founding of Hyrule (possibly due to hunting as Furnix eggs were considered a delicacy), though persistent legends speak of an extremely old one who roosts deep within Death Mountain itself.

 **Ghini (Gi-ni)**

Ghinis are a variety of spirit created from the souls of Hylians killed in battle. This makes them different from the 'Poe' variety of undead, who are formed from souls who lived unhappy lives but may have died in any number of ways. Like poes they are most common in the place where their mortal body has been laid to rest; attacking anyone who dares to disturb their grave or tomb (even by simply touching the marker). Thus they have proven an eternal bane to grave-robbers and many Hylian archeological societies, though this has been tempered by the fact that most Ghinis will 'fade' eventually. It must also be noted that the presence of many Ghinis can affect the environment, with persistent fog and dramatic drops in temperature being common.

They persist in great numbers in the Downfall Timeline, though are extremely rare in the other two.

 **Giant Beetle**

The Giant Beetles of Hyrule are a collection of several distinct species, all of which are bear a great animosity to other species (including other giant beetles). They all also have giant shells, which are used for both defense and attack purposes. They are all also very vunerable if these shells are removed. The separate species are:

 **Grinmers** , used to temperate climates and identifiable by smaller red shells and tails.

 **Pacci Beatles** , used to warm climates and notable for their shells being blue in coloration with large spikes.

They are extinct in the Adult and Child Timelines, but thrive in Holodrum and Labrynna in the Downfall Timeline.

 **Gleeok (Glee-ock)**

A species of dragon not native to Hyrule, famous for their ability to grow multiple heads. They are very solitary and will hibernate for the most of their adult life in a quiet cave where they will not be disturbed. During this period of history they had not yet migrated to lands inhabited by the Hylians, except for a notably foul tempered one that had taken up residence in Mount Crenei (see bottom of page). Volvagia is also occasionally rumoured to be of this species, but this is considered unlikely due to the massive difference in appearance.

The Gleeoks appear to have survived to the present day in all timelines, though due to their own nature this is difficult to verify.

 **Guay (Guh-yay)/Crow/Takkuri (Tack-koo-ri)**

Guays, 'Crows' and Takkuris (there is some debate on the correct plural) are all sub-species of the same small bird, hated throughout Hyrule for their highly territorial nature (and in the Takkuris case, it's love for shiny objects). Aside from the Takkuri's habits however, they all tend to behave in the same way be dive-bombing anything they consider a threat. Occasionally, Guays and Crows will also defecate on a person as a warning. Aside from Takkuris, they will roost in flocks or 'covens' which can at their maximum number over ten. All of the birds raise their young, occasionally with help from childless birds if invited. They have spread as far as Termina and New Hyrule, but for whatever reason have never been seen in the vicinity of Hytopia.

The Crow species has survived in all timelines to the present day, though they have evolved further in the Child Timeline to become less aggressive. The Takkuri and Guays are extinct however, due to extermination campaigns by the Hylian and Zora species.

 **Gyorg (Ge-yorg)**

The Gyorgs of this era should not be confused with the fish from later eras, as the animals from this era had no relation. These Gyorgs were flying creatures with more relation to the Skytails that aquatic animals, though they bore a resemblance to Manta Rays. Gyorgs are born in shoals of a hundred and will live for a few years in these groups in the Mesophere, before descending to the stratosphere to hunt for mates. A mated pair will remain together for life, with the male hunting for food to support the much larger female. The coloration of the species can vary widely, though infants are almost always green. A pair of them would prove a problem for the Wind Tribe during the events of Vaati's rise.

They have survived in the Downfall and Adult Timelines unchanged, though they are extinct in the Child Timeline due to environmental damage from Death Mountain.

 **Helmasaur (Helm-ah-saur)**

The Helmasaurs of the Force Era are believed to be a different species to those of later ones, as they were of avian rather than lizard origin. They are known to be closely related to the Kargarok/Helmaroc species, possibly to the extent of being their direct ancestors. In behavior they were remarkably similar to the Helmasaurs of later eras, as they specialized in charging their prey with their masks. The masks themselves were created over the creature's lifespan from soil, stone, mud, hair and any other materials the creatures could find.

They are extinct after the Force Era, though they may have evolved into the Kargaroks.

 **Hrok (He-rock)**

Another species of bird, Hroks were massive creatures that inhabited the vast desert of Lanayru during the Era of the Sky. Like the other avians in this bestiary, they were highly territorial but preferred to drop boulders onto their targets rather than engage at close range. The Hero of Legend referred described them as "Great, hideous guays (see above) lurking on the skeleton trees to attack whatever angered them". Their appearance and nature endure through Hylian Art, where they are popular as commentary on people unsuited for public office.

They went extinct shortly after the Era of the Sky for unknown causes. No colonies are known to have survived elsewhere in the world.

 **Keaton (Key-ton)**

Keatons are mysterious entities that resemble a fox, though the exact details are unclear. At least one of their kind prefers a multi tailed quadraped form, though several other have been recorded to take the shape of men with beastial heads and daggers. They are universally not safe to be around and are known to thieve, kill, trick and kidnap members of all the sentient species. They have some connection to the Sheikah who fear them as they do Demise. They have been sited as far as Termina, but due to being masters of camouflage they cannot be tra

 _further down, further down, sing a song of laughter_

 **Keese (of Normal, Fire, Thunder/Electric, Ice and Cursed Varieties) (Key-se)**

The common Keese is probably the most well-known creature in this bestiary, though they are often simply referred to as 'Bats' or incorrectly as Aches (which are in truth an entirely separate species). Like ChuChus and Spumes they possess the ability to take on characteristics from their environment, leading to the variations mentioned above. Unlike Spumes however, they are unable to take on dark magic as an element while living. They can take on this power while undead though and their 'cursed' brethren do exist in places of great horror. Larger specimens have also been recorded, with the epithet 'Bad Bats'. Coloration varies wildly among the species. Keese will spend most of their lives sleeping on cave walls or ceilings but will rouse themselves if disturbed. They prefer to attack in occasionally massive swarms, which can prove deadly for the unprepared. Thankfully, they tend to only appear in caves and underground structures as they do not like sunlight.

They are perhaps the most enduring of all races in Hyrule, as not only do they endure in all timelines, but they have never been faced with any possibility of extinction. They are also a worldwide problem.

 **Lakitu (Lack-eh-tu)**

Lakitus are a race of turtle creatures that live to the northeast of Old Hyrule, over the Akkala region of the Great Sea. Little is known of their culture, though it is known that they hold wind and lightning magic in high regard. It is believed that they exist in a caste system, with the priests of the Demon Lord 'Bow-sar' at the top. They are hostile to most races (Lizalfos being the exception), but have an especially fierce rivalry with the Wind Tribe which has led them into several wars for control of the 'Cloud Tops'. They are a cowardly people despite their aggressive behavior however and are good enough at hiding that their home territory has never been found. They are fond of beads and jewelry, as they consider them to be marks of bravery and glory.

They thrive in all timelines, though they like most species have suffered from the rise of Calamity Ganon in the Child Timeline.

 **LD-XXX Line**

The LD-XXX Line are a 'species' of robots that originate from the same source as the Ancient Robot Tribe, the Thunder Dragon Lanayru. They were his first creations, built on mechanical frames similar in appearance to a Hylian or Human skeleton. They were primarily created to serve as bodyguards and soldiers for the people of Hylia, as the Goddess did not want to risk her own upon the battlefields. They also had some mining capabilities, but not to the same standard as their successors. Unfortunately their 'programming' was flawed and led to them becoming violent towards their 'masters'; so they became the threat they were meant to prevent. Most of them were destroyed in the subsequent war at the hands of the Goddess and Lanayru, though at least two managed to endure until the time of the second Hero.

Obviously, they are no longer with us. The Ancient Robots we now know were intended to be their replacements as Lanayru's chosen people.

 **Leever (Lee-ver)**

Leevers are a recurring hazard in Hyrule's history. Possibly related to the Mandhandla, they are hostile cacti fond of chewing on the feet of any unsuspecting traveler or horse in primarily desert environs. Leevers usually travel in pods of three and will attempt to surround their targets to cut off any escape. Thankfully, they will retreat if injured and so can easily be dealt with by any armed person, though the damage they inflict of a horse's shins can prove extremely deadly.

They are extinct in both the Child and Adult Timelines, due to hunting by the Gerudo and the Great Flood respectively. They endure quite happily in the Downfall Timeline however, to the disappointment of many travelers.

 **Leviathan/ Tentalus (Tent-ah-lus)**

A possible species of gigantic sea monsters native to the ancient Lanayru Sea. Only one of these creatures has ever been recorded, namely the one (nicknamed Tentalus) that attacked the Hero of Legend during his quest for the Sacred Flames. The description of the creature is sadly quite vague, with note only being made of it's loose humanoid shape and array of tentacles (some with nesting mouths). Its size is a matter for controversy, with the Hero reckoning it to comparable to Levias the Sky Spirit. That would easily make it the largest creature in this part of the bestiary, though far from the largest entity in the world's history.

 **Like Like**

Like Likes are glutinous worm-like creatures, that have an entirely deserved reputation for being 'the Most Aggravating Monsters Ever'. They are not necessarily dangerous to a traveler's life as they tend to inflict only minor harm, but are well known for stealing possessions such as shields, rupees and tunics from their victims. The race thankfully prefers damp and dark places where they will not be bothered and live solitary lives, reproducing asexually. They may be related to the Sandworms employed as guardians in the World of the Ocean King. Often used as a parallel for gluttony in Hylian art, calling someone a 'Like-Like' is considered a great insult to most races (with the strange exception of the Gorons).

The Like Likes are extinct in the Child Timeline (presumably), but endure decently in the other two. They are a worldwide problem.

 **Lizalfos (of Green and Dark Varities) (Liz-owl-foss)/ Dinolfos (Dy-nowl-foss)**

Lizalfos are by far the most intelligent species on this list, even more so than the Darknuts. This is due to their ability to adapt and a deep cunning to rival any demon (the Lizalfos are not demonic in origin). They are race of bipedal lizards, who often have the ability to breathe fire (those who do are often known as Dinofos). Two major subspecies of the race exist, with the northern one being the most prevalent during Hyrule's history. Lizalfos Tribes are democracies where all lizards have equal rate in discussions, though they will occasionally appoint a general in wartime (such as the legendary Gar-krok). They have an intense rivalry with the Zora tribe, though have also made war against the Gorons of Death Mountain in some eras. Lizalfos are surprisingly excellent craftsmen and can create beautiful art when undisturbed, though sadly this ability is usually dedicated to making weapons.

They are extinct in the Adult Timeline due to the Great Flood, but have survived both other fine. Many (but not all) have migrated into Termina in the Downfall Timeline due to the destruction wrought by Ganon.

 **Madderpillar (Mad-ah-pill-er)**

Madderpillars are a species of caterpillar known for their fondness for dark and damp places and a the webs they can spit when provoked. They are omnivores, but will usually exist purely on rotting plant matter. They are not a threat to anyone (bar the Minish) but are included here due to the multiple times the Hero of the Minish was forced to fight one.

They exist to the present day in all timelines.

 **Magmanos (Mag-mah-nos)**

Magmanos were hand-shaped magma creatures that haunted the Fire Sanctuary during the Era of the Sky. Their exact origin is unknown, though it is believed that they were created by the Fire Dragon Eldin to protect the Sacred Flame of Din. They were not sentient and merely possessed the intelligence to crush anything that intruded into their chambers. They could also not recognize allies of the Goddess, which led to the Hero of Legend being forced to destroy all of them.

They went extinct for the above reasons during the Era of the Sky.

 **Moblin (Mob-lin)**

Moblins are the larger 'cousins' of the Bokoblin race. The two species tend to live in close proximity to each other and regularly share food, materials and even houses with each other. They also both speak the same language. Despite this they are somewhat different from each other, as Moblins tend to be much less intelligent than the other race and also much greedier, regularly hording rupees and food for themselves. Moblins are also much tougher and can wield large spears and shields with no effort. The demonic armies tended to use them as shock troops for this reason. The appearance of the species has varied wildly throughout the years, with the Moblins going from an appearance similar to a large Bokoblin, to a more porcine appearance during the Force Era. The reason for this is unknown, though it has been proclaimed as an omen for the birth of Ganondorf but several soothsayers.

Moblin survive to the present day in the Child and Downfall Timelines, but have gone extinct in the Adult Timeline due to the final death of Ganondorf.

 **Moldorm (Mold-orm) and Lanmola (Lan-mole-ah)**

Moldorms and Lanmolas are insectoid creatures that happen to be often confused with one another, to an extent where at times it is difficult to determine which species is which. Both species are violent, both can burrow and both enjoy dark places. Both also raise young in the same way, with the larvae being buried in the ground and abandoned. The usual solution is to determine whether the creature has legs (which would make it a Lanmola), but even this can prove difficult due to shoddy record keeping by several parties. There are also other similar creatures, such as Dagtails and Swamolas which further complicate matters. To deal with this, I will record each instance of the species separately to prevent confusion:

 **Era of the Sky 'Moldorm':** Definitely a Lanmola, due to the record of their legs. Lived in Eldin Volcano/Death Mountain and is presumed to have gone extinct, possibly due to the arrival of the Goron Tribe.

 **Force Era 'Moldorm':** Believed to be a Moldorm as there is no record of legs. They were spread throughout Hyrule and are believed to have survived into later eras.

 **Moldworm**

Moldworms are a normal sized species of worm that the Minish/Picori Tribe bear an intense hatred for. The worms have a bad habit of lurking inside Minish houses, so that they can surprise and consume the unsuspecting owners. Despite this, the Moldworms primarily act identical to other worms and survive on nutrients in the soil. They are not a threat to any larger races, though the Deku Tribe despise them due to the worms being infamous for burrowing inside the wooden bodies of the unprepared.

Moldworms are extinct in the Adult Timeline but endure in both others to the present day.

 **Mulldozer (Mull-dozer)**

Mulldozers are tiny insectoid creatures known for their brightly coloured shells and tendency to bite those who they deem as threats. They were fairly widespread creatures, but suffered badly from changing climates, particularly those linked to Death Mountain. They also failed to compete against other competitors and were a favorite snack of most bird species. Their relationship with the Lanmola creatures (which are similar in appearance but much larger is unknown.

They are extinct in all timelines.

 **Octorok (of River, Sea, Land and 'Hider' Varieties) (Ock-toe-rock)**

Octoroks are squid-like creatures that are believed to be the descendents of the Demon Lord Bellum. They are often semi-aquatic in resemblance to their ancestor but have diversified over the years into many subspecies. These subspecies numbered only four in the early eras, but their evolution was quick enough that they were entirely distinct by the time Hyrule was founded. The 'Hider' variety was the first of these to be encountered, as many of them had made their way into the sky as youths carried by Guays and other birds. 'Hiders' behaved as their name implies, disguising themselves as bushes or rocks to catch unwary prey. Land and River Octorocks behaved differently and preferred to keep up a constant stream of pellets to bring down foes. Sea Octorocks would only be discovered much later, when the budding Hylian civilization finally reached the coast. Apparently, all of them are delicious in a pie, but this writer has not yet had the courage to try one.

The Octorocks have endured all ages remarkably well, though they came close to extinction in the Era of Twilight due to the sudden rise in the Bublin population.

 **'Peahat' (Pee-hat)**

The 'Peahats' of the Force Era are in fact an entirely distinct species that has been mistakenly given the name of the occasionally violent plants. These Peahats are believed to be flying relatives of the Octorok family that evolved sometime after the Founding of Hyrule to menace travelers. In gaining the ability to fly, the Octoroks appear to have lost the ability to spit pellets, but they did learn how to carry bombs around to drop on the heads of prey.

They are either extinct after the Force Era or evolved further.

 **Puffstool**

One of the least known creatures of this list, Puffstools are animate fungi that infested several dungeons in Hyrule during the Force Era. They were relatively passive, but would act to defend their large fungi patches if sufficiently threatened. They are non-sentient, but may have some magic involved in their evolution due to certain unnatural abilities – Gentari of the Wind Tribe notably mentions them briefly in his grimoire.

They are extinct in all other eras.

 **Pyrup (Pie-rup)**

Pyrups were cowardly seal-like creatures that inhabited Eldin Volcano prior to and during the Era of the Sky. Like many creatures of the Volcano, they were fire breathers; an ability they used for both attack and defense. Pyrups would upon sensing true danger, crawl into various tight spaces and emit a constant stream of fire to deter attackers. However, this made them very vulnerable to explosives which could be simply tossed into the fire breath to cause an explosion. These holes would also function as nests and resting spaces, for when the creatures desired a break from the heat of the Volcano. The animals were semi-aquatic and could happily swim in both lava and water, though they preferred the former significantly.

They were driven to extinction by the Bokoblin Tribes shortly after the Era of the Sky, primarily with the aid of bomb flowers. The Bokoblins regarded roast Pyrup as a delicacy and were cunning enough to exploit the animals' limited intelligence.

 **Rollobite (Roll-oh-bite)**

Rollobites are large crustaceans that inhabit numerous caves and mines in Hyrule, though they are particularly fond of volcanic areas. Their name is derived from their habbit of rolling into a ball to protect themselves, as their hard exoskeleton makes them immune to all sword strikes. The exoskeleton also protects them from being cooked alive by the heat of any magma they live in proximity to. Rollobites are mildly aggressive towards other species, but they are not carnivorous and take all their sustenance from minerals in the ground.

They endure in the Child and Downfall Timelines, though they are rarely seen nowadays and appear to be on the verge of extinction.

 **Rope (Rope)**

A particularly notorious species of snake, Rope's are regarded as vermin throughout Hyrule due to their infamously vicious nature. They are non-venomous, but dangerous nonetheless due to a powerful bite and their speed. They usually live in nests of three to six scattered throughout the world (excluding frozen regions which they dislike), though occasionally a golden variation appears that lives on its own. Golden Ropes are significantly more powerful than others of it's kind but tend to behave in a similar manner. Their most favored food source is rodents.

Ropes survive well in the Downfall Timeline, but are an endangered species in the Child Timeline due to several furious cullings of their kind. They are extinct in the Adult Timeline, though they survive in the alternate dimension of the Ocean King.

 **Sentrobe (Sent-robe)**

The last of the three Ancient Robot security devices and the only one that has not been remade (so far), Sentrobes were hovering robots designed to patrol areas of high importance. They had a variety of tools capable of disposing of intruders, including 'missiles' (some sort of projectile) and hovering bombs. They were surprisingly sturdy, though had difficulty dodging anything that could reach them.

They are no longer in use in any timeline and furthermore only a few casings of them have survived to the modern day.

 **Sluggula (Slug-gull-ah)**

Sluggulas are slug-like creatures feared throughout Hyrule for the danger they pose to crops. They are most common in the south-western regions, but can appear in large numbers throughout the land, showing a surprising resistance to different climates. Common practice for many Hylians is to burn much of the field in the event of a Sluggula infestation, in the hope that the creatures will not return again (this sometimes works). They are however herbivores and not actively malicious, but are placed here for the danger they pose to any farmers.

They survive to this day in the Child and Downfall Timelines, but are extinct in the Adult Timeline. They are not related to the 'Sluggulas' of the Era of Light and Darkness.

 **Skulltula (Skull-too-la)/Walltula (Wall-too-la)**

Skulltulas are a species of giant spider that inhabits the forests of Hyrule, Termina and New Hyrule. They are named for the ominous skull-like patterns on their carapaces and the Ancient Hylian word 'Tula' meaning 'spider'. The arachnids are universally hostile to other species, though the preferred hunting strategy depends on the specific animal. Some like to hide on the ceiling and drop on unsuspecting prey, while others stalk giant webs or simply hunt on the ground. They are known man-eaters, though much of any catch is given to the young of the animal. These young young are called Walltulas and will spend their time clinging to vines and walls to provide some protection from other animals. Despite this, the young will also attack if threatened.

They are extinct in both the Downfall and Child Timelines due to the multiple calamities Hyrule has suffered, but they have successfully migrated to New Hyrule in the Adult Timeline.

 **Skytail**

The Skytails were airborne creatures akin to flying snakes who lived in the Era of the Sky. They were native to the massive storm known as the Thunderhead, praying on any creature that happened to enter it whether Loftwing, Guay or other. They were carnivorous and preferred to hunt in packs, but would fight over any kills successfully made due to a constant lack of food. It is believed that they spent their entire lives airborne, with younger Skytails attaching to a parent prior to learning how to fly.

They may still be alive in all timelines, but their survival is difficult to confirm due to their habitat.

 **Staldra (Stall-dra)**

Staldra were mysterious animalistic members of the Stal- family, the many physical entities created from the deceased (separate from Ghinis and Poes which are returned souls without bodies). Created by an unknown faction (though presumably demonic), they were formed from the mummified remains of many species, though Gleeoks are suspected to have been used frequently. The monstrous results were left to skulk throughout the south of Hyrule and Lanayru Desert, where they would kill any mortals who encountered them. They did not eat anything, existing only on the sorceries used to create their foul forms.

They are no longer in existence after the Era of the Sky, though it is likely that they could be resurrected through the appropriate necromancy.

 **Stalfos (Stall-fos)/Stalmaster (Stall-mas-ter)/Gibdo (Gib-do)**

Stalfos and their variants are the members of the Stal- family best known to the Hylian species. Created from the mutated bones of the fallen, they are almost universally hostile to non-demonic life and dedicated to their destruction. There are perhaps more varities of Stalfos than any other creature, with their present day appearance depending on their status prior to death. Stalfos created from soldiers will often wield weapons to attack, while Stalfos created from civilians will resort to biting, clawing and throwing their own bones as weapons. Stalmasters (a four-armed variant) are created from the mutated bodies of a prior attempt to create demon/Hylian hybrids (see the Darknut entry above). Gibdos are Hylians who received proper burial, but have been resurrected nonetheless. The following races are known to also have been raised as Stalfos: Zora, Rito, Gerudo, Bokoblin, Moblin, Bublin, Lizalfos, Lynel, Gleeok, Dragon, Wizzrobe, Keese, Rope and Guay.

They are active in all timelines.

 **Spume (of Water, Fire, Thunder and Cursed Varieties) (Ss-pume)**

Spumes are a species of Giant Toad formerly native to Hyrule, that were threats to the Hero of Legend during his quest on the undiscovered Surface. Also known as Mizuppos (Miz-up-ohs), they possessed an interesting ability to mimic the powers of other wildlife in the area – including fire, thunder and dark magic. They could then use this power as a projectile, as well as growing immune to it being used upon themselves. They were notably territorial creatures, but also extremely cowardly whenever under actual threat.

They went extinct for unknown causes shortly after the Era of the Sky. It has been proposed that they migrated southwards due to a few surviving journals that record similar creatures in other eras, but the truth of this is ultimately unknown.

 **Tektite (Teck-tight)/ Rocktite (Rock-tight)**

The Tektites are insectoid creatures that are believed to originate from the Mount Crenei area, possibly prior to the Era of the Sky. They would at the very least be confined to that peak for the first part of the Force Era, but managed to spread into Death Mountain by the time of the First Hero of the Four Sword. They are very aggressive creatures and will attack anything on sight (though the modern consensus is that their sight is relatively poor), though they do not eat animals aside from grubs and other small insects. The color of their shell changes as they age, with red Tektites being the youngest, followed by blue and rarely gold. Even rarer are the Rocktites, which are the Tektite equivalent of the Moldarachs – ancient specimens that have grown to immense size. Like the Moldarachs, they live underground and are rarely seen.

They have gone extinct in Hyrule in the child timeline as a direct result of the Calamity. Their status in other lands is unknown however, so there may still be some hope for the species. They have survived extremely well in the other two timelines, particularly in New Hyrule where they are a consistent threat to citizens travelling by train.

 **Wisp/Bubble**

Another of the many types of 'spirit' that inhabit Hyrule, Wisps and Bubbles were previously believed to have been formed from the souls of demons that have refused to pass on from the world after their demise. The discovery of Lizalfos Bubbles has brought this into question however, as Lizalfos are not believed to originate from the Demon Realm. The spirits typically inhabit the skulls of deceased Hylians or monsters and are able to attack through either manipulation of the skull itself or through the projection of a magical aura. Most of the bubbles are also able to fly, either through the aura's magic or a summoned pair of wings. They have an unknown relation to the mainline Stalfos 'species', though the Lizalfos revelation may be an indication that they are in fact the same type of spirit. Certain members of the Stal- family have shown similar powers to the Bubbles, further implying a connection.

Unlike most creatures on this list, the Bubbles are in no danger of ceasing to exist and have in fact become more numerous over the ages in all three timelines. The reasons for this are unknown, though certain theories have been suggested.

 **Wizzrobe (Wizz-robe)**

The Wizzrobes of this and most eras (the exceptions being those of the Adult Timeline and those of Termina) are a race of Imp Demons that have an extreme talent in the magical arts, particularly weather manipulation. They are most often cloaked due to their society frowning upon the exposure of too much flesh to outsiders, though faces are occasionally exposed as an exception to this rule. Wizzrobe society is very isolationist and even the location of their settlements are unknown to other races, including other demons (though it is believed their home is somewhere to the north of Hyrule). Only adult Wizzrobes have ever been seen in Hyrule, which is most likely a result of the aforementioned culture. It is not known why they venture into the territories of other races, though the common explanation is that doing so forms part of a religious rite for the race.

They are extinct in the Adult Timeline due to the Great Flood, but endure in both other timelines to the present day.

 **Other Entities of Note that do not qualify as a Species**

 **Scaldera** , a fire monster created by the Sword Spirit Ghirahim.

 **Koloktos** , an automaton in the Ancient Cistern corrupted by Ghirahim.

 **Bilocyte** , a parasite that infected the Sky Spirit Levias.

 **Volvalgia** , a fire dragon native to Death Mountain that was revived during the Era of the Hero of Time. May be related to Barba from the Downfall Timeline.

 **Darghini** , a Ghini-like entity formed from the hatred of demons sealed within the Shadow Temple. May be related to Bongo Bongo.

 **Gleerok** , a Gleeok that somehow fused with the Fire Element.

 **Mazaal** , a security device constructed by the Wind Tribe. Possibly related to other large constructs of similar design.

 **Deguchitato** , a little-known subspecies of the Manhandla.

 **Derazoru** , a massive Chuchu native to Talus Cave.

 **Gouen** , a flame entity that inhabited Death Mountain during the Force Era. Possibly a Chuchu or Flare Dancer


	20. The Rise of Vaati (MC Part 1)

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Rise of Vaati**

 _The Legend Unfolds…_

 _"You know, you and I have a lot in common. You see, I, too, am on a quest to break a curse of Vaati's. And you say that reforging the sacred blade can break his curse, eh? Well, then you have found yourself a companion, my boy! My name is Ezlo. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." – Ezlo_

 _"I was once a famous sage and a renowned Minish craftsman. Vaati was only a boy when I took him on as my apprentice. But...he became enchanted by the wickedness in the hearts of men." – Ezlo_

 _"The gifts the Picori gave the humans... What you call the Picori Blade was the first of those gifts. The second... Well, you call it light force, but it is a source of limitless magical power." — Ezlo (again)_

The tale of the next Hero of Hyrule begins not with him or Hyrule in general, but with two of the Minish (or Picori) in their own realm inaccessible to all other races. The Minish were named Ezlo and Vaati, a master and apprentice in the magical arts who were dedicated to carrying out the common mission of their people. Ezlo was perhaps the premier craftsman in the Minish World at that time, with a talent for the creation of magical artefacts that few in history have ever rivalled - perhaps only the craftsmen of the Ancient Shiekah, Gentari the Cursed and the Twins of Faraway. He was however utterly devoid of foresight, a great personal weakness that would ensure the events of this era and later times.

Ezlo's current project was the creation of a magical cap that could grant the wishes of its wearer (within reason). He planned for it to be delivered to the King of Hyrule (Daltus) anonymously during the Picori Festival of that year. This plan backfired however when the extreme amounts of magic used during the creation of the cap corrupted the soul of Vaati, who became enchanted with the ambitions allowed to Hylia's chosen people but denied to the Minish. It has also been suggested that the curse of Demise was involved in his corruption, but this is considered unlikely since no two aspects of the Demon King are known to have existed at the same time (see the reincarnation of Ganondorf for further discussion on this topic). While Ezlo was distracted, Vaati stole the cap and used its magic to turn himself into a Hylian sorcerer of significant power. His master returned too late to prevent this and was turned into a cap himself in an act of cruelty from the new mage. In this form, Ezlo was powerless and could not prevent his former apprentice from leaving the Minish World or abandoning him in a forest far from any help.

The defeated Picori would be left there for over a week, forced to subsist on berries and worms while avoiding the dangerous creatures that lurked within the woods. This particular region of Hyrule had recently become infested with ChuChus and a shoal of territorial Octoroks, monsters that proved a great threat for the defenceless cap-creature. Ezlo could not even run from any danger in his new form and so was forced to hide in the undergrowth whenever danger made itself known. He would live like this for several weeks, until one day when he was caught unawares by two Octoroks and nearly killed - only being saved by the arrival of a young boy dressed in green.

The boy, who was named Link quickly slew the Octoroks before telling Ezlo the news from Hyrule and the reason for his presence within the forest (which was revealed to be Minish Woods). During the annual Picori Festival, a mysterious stranger had appeared and entered himself in the sword fighting competition. With an unparalleled display of skill, the stranger had defeated any challengers and claimed the grand prize. That was the point where the events turned violent. The stranger (who was in reality Vaati) shattered the Picori Blade and opened the Bound Chest in an attempt to seize the power of the Light Force. This had of course failed since the Light Force was never in the chest to begin with, but the resulting cascade of escaping monsters had revealed the magic inherent in the Royal Family. Awed by the display and enraged by his failure, the dark mage proceeded to badly injure King Daltus and turn his daughter Zelda into stone, before fleeing the scene.

Since the mages of Hyrule had been unable to repair the blade, the chest or Zelda due to a lack of knowledge, King Daltus had asked Link to seek out the Picori - for he knew that they would only show themselves to a child. He had brought the shattered Picori Blade with him to reforge, though for the moment he was wielding a sword forged by his grandfather (that was ironically meant originally as a gift for Vaati). That quest had led to him to Minish Woods in search of the colony known to exist somewhere within it. Ezlo 'volunteered' to join the boy in this mission, hoping that his brethren would be able to lift his own curse and restore him to a proper form.

To reach the Minish Village, Ezlo and Link utilised the magic of a 'Minish Hole' or 'Portalway' (not to be confused with the Minish Door in Hyrule Castle), a curious structure that allows Hylians and other large races to shrink down to the size of a Minish. The exact origin of these portals is a curious question. Some of them are recent creations, made by the Minish for the use of Hylian children. Some however date to before the Ancient Battle, to the time of Her Grace Hylia. Those are perhaps the most interesting, as they all contain transcripts of an ancient prophecy that predicts 'four great heroes' who 'share a sacred blade'. At first glance one would think that this refers to the Heroes of the Four Sword - but there have only been three of them. Where therefore is the forth? Is he yet to arrive? And what does it mean considering the death of Vaati in battle with the third hero?

With the aid of this structure (which was disguised as a tree stump, though others took the appearance of pots and stone altars), the two travellers would be able to converse with the Picori Elders on an even footing. Or at least they were after consuming a Jabber Nut, a rare magical variety of plant that allows easier comprehension of languages (the Zora are fond of farming this plant, though most other races do not like the taste). This was required since the majority of Picori do not speak the Hylian language, though even those that do prefer to converse in a private tongue that other races cannot understand. This is most likely due to the secretive nature of the race, though the exact origin of their language is of some debate. Certain words in it seem to bear some resemblance to the ancient Lokomo tongue, which could provide a hint to the early history of both races.

The elders of this Minish Village were named Gentari and Festari; who respectively managed the physical and spiritual aspects of village life. Gentari was the elder who recognised the broken Picori Sword and gave Link the instructions on how to repair it. It was a two part process, requiring the actual reforging of the sword with the aid of a Minish Smith known as Melari (who currently lived on Mount Crenel) and then the imbuing of the resulting blade with enough power to fully restore it. Gentari suggested the use of the Four Elements created by his namesake for this purpose, since the Element of Earth was located slightly to the north of the Minish Village (unsaid went the fact that Gentari was disturbed by its presence and foresaw calamity if it remained nearby any longer).

Since the Earth Element was closer, Link and Ezlo went after it first within the aptly named Deepwood Shrine. The shrine was a curious structure, built in the usual Minish style of taking advantage of whatever was at hand. In this case the structure was the remnants of an ancient quarry and an old barrel. The Minish had - as one would expect - originally used the shrine as a place to worship the Golden Goddesses, but had abandoned it when the amount of vermin became unbearable. In the time since then, much of the temple had flooded and large colonies of Puffstools had taken over much of the available floor space. This proved not to be a problem to the Hero and Ezlo, since almost all of the vermin were vulnerable to either a sword or the 'Gust Jar' recovered from the lair of a Moldworm (a magical equivalent to the tool used by the Hero of Legend). The biggest threat of the experience (literally) turned out to be a normal Green ChuChu who ambushed the pair in the room containing the element. With the artefact retrieved, the Hero headed towards Mount Crenel with it in hand; leaving the Shrine to the surviving vermin.

As their destination was in the far west of the Hyrule of that era, it took the pair several days to reach the mountain. In this time Vaati had not been inactive; indeed he had been continuing his quest for the Light Force in the Royal Archives – using his magic to disguise himself as a mere palace guard. The secret of its location had excluded him however, for the Hero of Men had deliberately failed to record that knowledge. The stone Zelda in the meantime was being cared for by her father, but to no avail. The court mages were at least able to confirm that Zelda was alive in the stone, though her spirit slumbered with the protection of an 'unknown force'. Unbeknownst to them this was in fact the Light Force running through her bloodline; they assumed that it was Hylia intervening to protect her from harm.

The Hero and Ezlo reached Mount Crenel to find it in the midst of a minor eruption, as it had been for several decades prior to these events. These eruptions had unfortunately destroyed most traces of Hylian civilisation on the mountain, forcing the pair to climb rather than use any of the previously built bridges since Melari's mine was located close to an abandoned Hylian one at the very peak of the mountain. This proved a problem however, since the Hero was unable to climb the almost vertical cliffs of the volcano – especially when boulders were raining down upon him from the sky with almost unnatural precision. The Crenel region also had a very nasty infestation of the Tektite species, along with the Helmasaur race that had migrated to the mountain sometime after the abandonment of the Hylian mine.

The way the former problem was solved requires some context. To the far southeast of Hyrule, over the Faron Sea lay a great southern continent that had yet to be discovered in this era. The only known inhabitants of this region were the southern variety of Lizalfos and the Deku Tribe, a race of plants that had evolved to the point where they would normally be considered animals. They are undoubtedly sentient, despite the attempts of a few shameful Hylians who dismissed them as inferior. Due to an unknown calamity in the far south, many of the Deku were forced to move north as hermits and traders, though some would eventually manage to form their own kingdom in an extinct volcano to the far west slightly prior to the Second Hylian Civil War. The Woodfall Kingdom, as it would eventually become known would eventually be drawn into the Moonfall Cataclysm; but that is a story for later.

Several of the aforementioned traders had made their way into Hyrule proper and had proven themselves a nuisance due to being very easily startled (and responding violently every time). This had done little to ingratiate them to the people of Castle Town and had in fact led to more than one direct complaint to King Daltus. To Daltus' credit, he had refused to throw them out of Hyrule – though neither had he offered them anywhere specific to settle down. Therefore, it had come to pass that at least one of the Deku Tribe inhabited Mount Crenel during this period. He – after recovering from shock – offered to sell Link an enchanted ring that would allow him to climb with ease. Surprisingly it actually worked, though the ring did vanish one day without reason.

After reaching the mine, the Hero and Ezlo were quickly able to convince Melari (and his apprentices) to help fix the Picori Blade. Since forging a blade takes a fair while, they decided to go after the next of the Four Elements which was buried somewhere within the volcano. The problem with this plan however, was that they didn't know where _specifically_. Melari suggested searching for the element within the abandoned Hylian mine (known by then as 'the Cave of Flames'), since he believed that connected to a cave system the original Gentari might have used while hiding the artefact. It did…but in the years since the element's hiding, the cave system had become flooded with magma and numerous dangerous creatures. The element itself had ended up in an unholy union of both dangers – it had been consumed by a Gleeok (henceforth known as 'Gleerok') which had made it's nest in a pool of magma. To retrieve Gentari's shame, Link and Ezlo would need to slay the beast which was no easy task. Link succeeded only through the use of a mysterious artefact known as 'The Cane of Pacci', a golden staff that could somehow send objects and beings flying. It's exact origins are sadly unknown, though the common theory is that it is of Sheikah origin. The powers of the artefact bear a certain resemblance to other known Sheikah artefacts, particularly those that rose to prominence in the Era of Calamity. This enabled the Hero to collapse the dragon's own shell onto it's back, causing it great pain and exposing parts of it's body that were not protected by the impenetrable hide. A few swipes of his sword to the chest later and some frantic dodging as the furious creature flung molten rock at the Hero and his Cap; the creature was defeated and the element retrieved.

The pair stopped to retrieve the repaired Picori Blade from Melari before setting off to Hyrule Castle once again. On the way they were attacked by Vaati, who while infiltrating the King's Court had learnt about their quest to stop him. While he did not fight them directly (perhaps fearing the reforged blade and it's possible effect on him), his summoning of several Moblins confirmed just how much his powers had grown since his theft of Ezlo's Cap. The assassination attempt on the Hero and his companion failed, but the two were now faced with a quandary about their next destination. Ezlo had planned to take the Picori sword into the Elemental Sanctuary where the Hero of Men had first received it. There they would be able to infuse it with the power of the two elements they had already gathered, leaving them halfway towards defeating Vaati. However, no one in the castle including King Daltus knew where the door to the Minish Realm actually was.

In the century since the War of the Bound Chest, the door had been 'lost' due to the inability of adults to perceive it (as with the Picori themselves); not to mention that it had remained shut for that century on the Golden Goddesses command. It was still located in the courtyard where it had always been, waiting for its time to be rediscovered.

It was by luck that the Hero and Ezlo found it, luck they would need since the next stage of their quest faced an even bigger problem. The location of the Water Element was known to be in the current Lake Hylia to the east of Castle Town. But as for the Wind Element, its situation was debatable. When the Wind Tribe had abandoned Castor Wilds, had they taken the Element with them? For that matter, where were the Wind Tribe currently?

 _The Legend Unfolds…_

* * *

 _The Minish Realm is not technically impossible to access (since the Elemental Sanctuary is part of it), however since that's all we see of it and the door closes at the end of MC it made sense in my mind._

 _References to other craftsmen and from Breath of the Wild, and earlier chapter in this (People of the Wind) and a name I knicked from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire._

 _Demise was somewhat indirectly involved in Vaati's corruption. His emergence into the Ancient Kingdom corrupted the entire world to some extent and that leaked through to the Minish Realm during the War of the Bound Chest._

 _See the previous chapter for an explanation of the Picori Festival._

 _The meaning of the prophecy shall be revealed...in time._

 _Yeah, even I have no idea what the Jabber Nut actually is._

 _Lokomos are from Spirit Tracks. Some explanation of them can be found in the chapter 'The Sealing of Malladus._

 _Woodfall and 'the Moonfall Cataclysm' are references to the events of Majora's Mask, the former being a mountain/volcano/swamp/thing that hosts a dungeon._

 _The connection between the Cane of Pacci and the Sheikah is indirect, as it was actually created during the time of the Ancient Battle by the Hylian Tribes to fight off the demonic invasion. There may be more than one in existence as it happens._


	21. The King of the Dead (MC Part 2)

**The Story of Hyrule  
The King of the Dead**

 _The Legend Unfolds…_

 _"You all know of the power the Picori gave to mankind, do you not? The golden light force of limitless magical power... I want it! It is somewhere here in Hyrule! Go now, and bring me this power!" — King Daltus, possessed by Vaati_

 _"The elemental sanctuary exists between the human world and the Minish world. Here, let me explain with a little example: in a ham sandwich... the elemental sanctuary would be the ham between the two slices of bread!" — Ezlo_

 _"... ... O young one... Child who seeks to rescue my descendant, Zelda... Welcome... My name is Gustaf . I was king of Hyrule countless ages ago...I grant to you this Kinstone... Seek the source of the flow in Hyrule... Only then will your path open... Save Zelda... All of Hyrule is counting on you..." — King Gustaf_

With the question of the Wind Tribe's location on their minds, the Hero and Ezlo headed to Castor Wilds - the location of the Tribe's former home. By this point, the 'Wind Ruins' (the original name has not been recorded) had laid abandoned for several generations and were slowly being consumed by the marsh - which should not be taken as a statement of how safe they were. Not only were the marshes themselves very deadly due to the presence of Eyegores and Ropes, but the Fortress of Winds - the largest surviving structure - had become the residence of many Stalfos, Wizzrobes and Wallmasters. The area was also filled with the natural dangers common to a swamp and several of the guard automatons built by the Minish for the Wind Tribe remained in working order.

To cross the marshes without becoming trapped, Link enlisted the aid of Castle Town's resident shoemaker to craft him a pair of Pegasus Boots. These are pairs of enchanted shoes that grant Hylians the ability to move at a much faster pace (coincidently several other Heroes have made use of similar artefacts). With these and a scavenged bow, the Hero managed to reach the outskirts of the actual Wind Ruins. However, the entranceway had been blocked by three enormous statues that each required the fusing of a Kinstone to be moved. It is believed that these statues had been placed down by the Minish of the region sometime after the departure of the Wind Tribe; due to some correlating design patterns and the absence of these monuments in some earlier records of the fortress. The reason for the placement is believed to have been a measure to deter trespassers away from the dangers of the ruins and to prevent the location of the tribe (and more crucially the Wind Element) from being found before the correct moment. That moment was apparently now, for the Hero of Winds had already located the required Kinstones and so gained access to the ruins for himself and Ezlo.

As I have detailed above, the crumbling fortress of the Wind Tribe was filled with dangers natural, mechanical and magical. Some parts of the building had collapsed to the point where Link needed to use a pair of Digging Mitts – an improved variation of the Mogma Mitts used by that extinct tribe – to move through areas where the ceiling had collapsed. Many sections also contained massive drops, though that at least is common in most of Hyrule's ruins for a mysterious reason. Besides which, the pits here were hardly the worst this Hero would have to contend with on this adventure. At the peak of the fortress, the Hero came across the automaton Mazaal, a guardian built by the Picori for the same reason as the gigantic statues outside. Curiously it bore a great resemblance to the automaton Gohdan built in a later era, though rumour states that Mazaal was more closely related to the Ancient Robots of Lanayru Desert (indeed, parts of it may have been scavenged from the remnants of their technology). Perhaps it inspired the creation of the later construct? To defeat Mazaal, Link and Ezlo needed to shrink down to Minish size and enter inside it since the metal body of the automaton was impervious to sword, bow and the Cane of Pacci. This proved difficult, since the construct had apparently been designed _specifically with Minish attackers in mind_ ; though the reason behind that is yet another question. Why would the Minish design a robot to fight other Minish? They've never had a recorded conflict among their own kind (excluding Vaati), so common sense would suggest that such measures are not necessary.

Even for those of us with access to the great libraries of Hyrule, too much is left unknown.

After defeating Mazaal, the Hero and Ezlo were able to reach the top of the fortress. There rested a great stone plaque, which read:

 _"We are the Tribe of The Winds. Long have we lived with the winds. We have mastered them. Now, we join them. Together, with the great winds at our backs, we head for the skies. Those who come seeking our power must play the notes Zeffa teaches. May they lead you onward to the power that you seek."_

The name _Zeffa_ referred to a particularly old member of the Burūuingu species; a crossbreed between the Loftwing species and the Chirri species that inherited the latter's small size but the former's great strength. Like the Loftwings, the Burūuingu could live for several centuries if well cared for due to the remnants of divine power in their blood (Loftwings were Hylia's sacred animal after all). When Link blew on a specific ocarina – not related to the Ocarina of Time despite a shared colour – Zeffa would fly down and carry him to certain points known as Wind Crests that were scattered across Hyrule. This made travel a lot easier for the pair, though it didn't help them on their quest since Zeffa currently refused to fly them to wherever the Wind Tribe had departed to.

As a result they had no current leads on the Wind Element and decided to go after the other remaining one instead, the Water Element. This was found fairly easily in the depths of Lake Hylia (the future Lanayru Wetlands), though it was temporarily inaccessible since the Hero did not know how to swim. There was also an additional problem however, because the temple was frozen over and therefore the waters near it were deadly cold. The solution was found with the brother of the Minish Gentari, Librari who – as the name implies – was living in a book inside Hyrule's library. His unique name brings up an interesting diversion for us, as unlike most peoples of the world the Minish pick their own names once they reach a certain age. The Gerudo keep a version of this same tradition, as do the Kokori/Kikwi (though the acceptable age for the latter can be anywhere between 100-300 years old). Hylians, Gorons and Zoras have never fully embraced this idea, though the Kingdom of Hytopia was fond of it during the Era of Light and Dark. Regardless, Librari presented the Hero with a pair of enchanted flippers – possibly Zorian in origin, though the race would not migrate to Hyrule for several centuries yet as their ancient homeland (believed currently to be to the island of Ronrīrokku to the south). This allowed the Hero access to the temple and after a tiring journey through its frozen floors, along with a battle against an apparently giant Octorok (actually normal sized, since the entire temple was built at Minish size); the Hero retrieved the Wind Element.

He was understandably shocked when the ghost of a king proceeded to approach him. A ghost that was both familiar and unfamiliar to him, in appearance and in name. The King introduced himself as Gustaf and gave directions to a place which, he said would lead them to the Wind Tribe. For those of my readers who have been paying attention, this ghost should be very familiar as the Hero of Men; this Link's predecessor and ancestor.

Before heading to the location however, Link and Ezlo needed to infuse the Picori Blade with the third element. This presented them with a large problem, due to the actions of Vaati. The monstrous Picori had possessed King Daltus of Hyrule to aid in his attempts to find the Light Force of Legend. He had ousted the old man's soul for this end and as with any possession the effects were severe. Daltus would pass away barely two years later, leaving his young daughter as Queen of Hyrule. That was a while away however and for the time being Vaati now had control of the entire castle and army. He also had access to Zelda and though he did not know it, the Light Force that ran through her veins. With the castle unknowingly under enemy command, Link and Ezlo had to sneak into the Elemental Sanctuary through another secret entrance since the guards would have thrown him out or taken him to the Vaati-possessed king. Aside from a few close calls, this was achieved without incident and the Picori Blade was once again improved. By 'charging' it, Link could now split himself into three copies rather than merely two as before. These copies did not yet possess the true independence granted by the complete Four Sword, which alone of all magic in Hyrule allows the copy to manage itself without relying on the focus of the original. Mimicry magic itself is fairly widespread particularly among the Sheikah; though the copies offered up the blade were already more powerful than those summoned by all but the greatest of sorcerers.

With sword in hand, the pair set on following Gustaf's directions. These led them to the northwest of Hyrule, where between two great peaks they found the immense graveyard known as Royal Valley. Since the time of the First Sage, Hyrule's people had been buried here, where it was hoped any lingering spirits would be unable to affect the living. There were only a few permanent residents since most sane people wanted barely anything to do with the region. Most notable of the residents was the first recorded 'Dampe the Gravedigger' who tended to the graves for unknown reasons. Strangely (but identically to the others of his name) he was never appointed to this post, but simply appeared one day with a hut already built and a shovel in hand. The area was also infested with Gibdos, Stalfos and Ghinis as one would expect.

Ezlo and Link's destination was located at the far end of the valley, in the Royal Crypt used until sometime after the Force Era had ended (when the grave site was moved to Kakariko). This was a grand mausoleum that had survived well despite centuries passing since its construction. It was also infested by the undead admittedly and the home of several devious traps, but was still a sign of the power of the kings and queen of Hyrule. Gustaf waited by his own grave, where he passed on a golden Kinstone piece and the instruction to seek out Veil Falls in Hyrule's northeast.

* * *

 _The Legend Unfolds…_

 _The Minish (or at least a tribe of them) definitely favoured the People of the Wind in the actual game, considering the existence of the Armos/Mazaal/the portal things. The reason for this in this story is linked to the Wind Element and the danger it can bring; for similar reasons Minish Village and Melari's Mine are located unconsciously close to two other elements._

 _Pegasus Boots have appeared in sooo many places…_

 _I've skipped over it, but several Darknuts were located in this area of Hyrule. They were recruited by Vaati to cause trouble for the Hero and Ezlo._

 _The Digging Mitts, as with the Gust Jar are direct evolutions of the respective items in Skyward Sword._

 _In my own mind there was a Minish conflict at some point in their own history. This was prior to the War of the Bound Chest and did not involve the Hylians at all._

 _Burūuingu is my own invented name for a made up crossbreed of Loftwings and the smaller birds known as Chirris, taken from the Japanese translation for 'Blue-Wing'. Chirris appear by name in Skyward Sword and Triforce Heroes, though similar unnamed birds appear throughout the series._

 _The Wind Crests were presumably placed around by the Wind Tribe themselves._

 _The Era of Light and Dark covers everything from 'A Link to the Past' to 'Triforce Heroes'. The Kingdom of Hytopia comes from the latter._

 _The name of the Zora's original homeland (which I made up for this story, though they probably did migrate into Hyrule even in canon) translates to 'Lonely Rock'. It is in this story to the far south of Hyrule and slightly to the east of the actual continent._

 ** _THE HERO OF MEN RETURNS!_**

 _In the actual game the possession of Zelda's father was kinda glossed over, but considering some of the other affects possession has had in the series I thought it best to emphasise his predicament._

 _I completely forgot to mention the power of the Four Sword last chapter, so I have included it – awkwardly – here._

 _It is a fact of living in Hyrule that most graveyards end up haunted. This is why most are located away from the main towns where they can't harm anyone._

 _Dampe is…weird. Even by Hylian standards._


	22. The Forging of the Four Sword (MC Part 3

**The Story of Hyrule  
The Forging of the Four Sword**

 _The Legend Unfolds…_

 _"Our tribe abandoned the place you call the Wind Ruins... With our magic, we moved our palace up into the skies. We are the Wind Tribe." — Siroc of the Wind Tribe_

 _"It has mysterious powers... Legends say that when mighty Vaati attacked, a hero arose and saved the people from destruction. They go on to say that by using this sword, the one was as four, and the four combined their strength!" — 'The Curse of Vaati', unknown author_

 _"Well, you're too late. A mere three more chimes to the bell will bring the ceremony to its end! And with the third toll of the bell, I will become like a god! And your precious Princess Zelda will be nothing more than cold, dead stone." — Vaati the Wind Mage_

Ever since the loss of Skyloft, the idea of reconquering the skies has been beloved in the hearts of the Hylian race. The Wind Tribe have only been one of many to dream of ascending to the heavens once again, though we achieved our ambitions quite a long time before any other members of the sentient races (excluding the mysterious Oocca). Even with the Wind Element at our side however, the creation of our cloud top paradise was difficult and full of dangers. Greatest of those was the risk of mistaking a normal cloud for one of the 'solid' ones gathered over Veil Falls; a treacherously easy mistake that would leave the unfortunate victim plummeting several miles down to their demise. Other dangers also existed, including airborne predators such as Skytails, Cloud Piranhas and the ferocious Gyorgs (not be confused with the fish from later eras). Then there was the massive issue of keeping the homes and buildings afloat, for one failure could spell the death of all the Tribe.

It took a mixture of the power of the Wind Element and scavenged technology from the Lanayru desert to keep the clouds of the region stable enough to walk on. Various relics of the Era of the Sky were also studied to achieve the desired effects; including the remnants of an ancient airship and a strange 'circus island' discovered on Satori Mountain where it had apparently fallen several decades prior (though Skyloft itself remained missing). The advice of the only surviving Ancient Robot Scrapper was also sought out, at the Temple of Time where he watched over and cared for the Master Sword. With this knowledge, my tribe were able to contrast a series of gigantic fans that spun constantly to keep both the Tower of Winds and later the Palace of Winds afloat. With the magic woven into them they were almost impervious to damage, which proved an issue in later generations when the knowledge of how they worked was lost – at the time of the Hero of the Minish, the common belief was that the tribe's purity allowed them to walk on the clouds with the blessing of the Golden Goddesses. In a few hundred years they would be forced to relearn the arts of their ancestors, but for now they were able to live simple lives free of the troubles that occasionally plagued the surface.

Or at least that was the idea.

When Link and Ezlo arrived in the Cloud Top Kingdom, they discovered that the Wind Tribe had been driven from their Palace by an enormous pair of Gyorgs and their offspring. Half the tribe had been consumed in the flight and now the survivors were trapped in the comparatively old Tower of Winds that had originally been part of the Fortress of Castor Wilds (later known as the Wind Ruins). Even with half the tribe gone, it was a cramped lifestyle with few supplies to go around; all the 'floating farms' were in the higher regions of sky where the Gyorgs reined. The Wind Element could not help them with this, for it had been consumed by the monsters during their first assault. Furthermore, freed monsters from the Bound Chest had been released into the skies by Vaati; who had taken a shine to the Palace of Winds and planned to take it as his own once he had discovered the Light Force and fully conquered Hyrule. Coincidentally this obsession with the palace would endure even after the loss of Vaati's memories, for he would make several attempts to build a sky palace of his own even after the original left the skies of Hyrule behind.

The trek through the palace was extremely long for the Hero and Ezlo, since in size the structure was more comparable to a small town than a single castle. It was also horrendously dangerous since my people had left many areas open to the sky; creating a thousand deadly pits for Link to stumble into. Parts of the palace had also been damaged by the attack of the Gyorgs and the monster infestation, making an existing situation even worse. The passage of the two companions was aided by a few abilities of Ezlo, as well as a 'Roc's Cape' (traditional Wind Tribe wear) that functioned as a makeshift parachute when traversing this high above Hyrule The monsters of the Palace of Winds were far stronger than in other areas of Hyrule and were led by a Darknut, red in colour and second in command of the legions under the unnamed black knight who had sworn allegiance to Vaati – perhaps recognising him as a future Demon Lord. Defeating the leader was difficult, because he had prepared for the Hero's arrival by locking himself onto a floating platform with no walls and no exit; ensuring that if he placed a decent strike the young boy would be sent flying to his demise. It also meant he couldn't count on any reinforcements however, which proved to be his own demise when Link's youth and lack of armour ensured that he was much faster than the half-demon.

The battle with the Gyorgs was another problem altogether for the Hero however. To engage the beasts, he had been forced to climb onto the back of one of them as it rose even higher into the sky; further than anyone except the Goddesses had ever dared. From here the whole tapestry of the planet could be seen; not just Hyrule, but the distant lands beyond – even the far eastern continent that would in one timeline become New Hyrule. The air grew perilously thin and weak, as it is known to do at great vertical distances. Surely this would have spelt doom for Link and perhaps Ezlo, if they had not been protected by the favour of the currently deceased Hylia. The Gyorgs themselves were also very challenging beasts to slay even without the hostile conditions, for they possess a hide that like far too many monsters of Hyrule is resistant to the blow of a sword – even a magical one. The Hero was forced to leap between the beasts to slay them, often in the midst of one of them attempting to knock him of it's mate. The offspring of the pair also attempted to combat Link, at the behest of their mother. As usual the eyes proved to be the weakness of the beasts, though Link needed to use the power of the Picori Blade to split himself in three in order to inflict enough damage.

With the Gyorg pair dead and the Wind Element retrieved, Link and Ezlo began their journey back to Hyrule Castle and the Elemental Sanctuary. On the way they were gifted a replica(?) of the Goddess Hylia's Light Arrows by an ancient member of the Wind Tribe, as thanks for curing him of an illness inflicted by a spirit. It is unlikely that the old man realised the true significance of his gift at the time, for weapons such as the Light Arrows were designed for the sole purpose of driving back demons – a rank that Vaati himself would descend to shortly. But the man couldn't have known this; he was not a seer or a particularly skilled demonologist – was it therefore possible that the Goddesses were working through him? Or was it merely a most fortunate coincidence? We must assume so, because nothing we know now seems to suggest otherwise…aside from the question of where he got the Light Arrows in the first place. They certainly weren't around when my tribe ascended to the heavens and it is rather difficult to explain how a tribe with no reputation for blacksmithery could have crafted such arrows.

But regardless, they were sorely needed by the Hero for when he returned to Hyrule Castle the full depth of Vaati's evil was revealed. At first the situation appeared to be as it was prior to the pair's trip to Royal Valley – the guards would throw them out of the palace if they were caught and King Daltus was nowhere to be found. As with the last visit, Link and Ezlo used the secret passage to reach the Elemental Sanctuary where the Picori Blade was enhanced by the last element; transforming it into the second of Hyrule's legendary blades – **the Four Sword**. As this Hero had first mastered the sword while it was in its previous form, the blade did not unveil its stranger features as it would with his successors. It did grant him the ability to split himself into four copies, but these functioned as true extensions of him rather than separate people entirely. If this is to be taken as the sword only granting its true power to its first wielder, then it is similar to the Master Sword and the 'Skyward Strikes' that lost much of their reliability in later eras.

With the Four Sword in hand, the pair were able to progress into a hidden room of the sanctuary where a stained glass window depicted the true fate of the Light Force – that it was in the Royal Bloodline all along. Sadly, Vaati had followed the pair in and since Princess Zelda was already in his grasp he wasted no time in beginning to extract the magic from her. He also lifted the illusion he had placed over the castle, revealing that is had been twisted into a dark and haunted labyrinth, patrolled by monsters rather than men. He also revealed that the castle's inhabitants had all been turned to stone akin to Zelda; though with the Picori Blade fully enhanced Link was able to cast away that enchantment with ease. That was just as well, for he and Ezlo had little time to reach Vaati and defeat him – once a third bell chimed in the castle tower, Zelda would die and Vaati would be too powerful to slay. He claimed that he would achieve godhood, but the common consensus is that his state would be more akin to Ganon's control over the complete Triforce in the Downfall Timeline.

Even with all his items and skill, the dark castle was a great challenge for Link. The greatest of Vaati's minions had been stationed here to delay him, for the mage feared what the Four Sword would do to him if it reached him prior to the ritual's completion. He was right to worry, for after slaying the true leader of the Darknut Legion in the sorcerer's service the Hero marched into Vaati's chambers to challenge him on Hyrule's behalf. Against the might of the Picori, Vaati only had his magic – but that was a terrible force; enabling him to shapeshift first into a great and towering warlock, then a monstrous set of eyes, then finally the terrible form that he would reside in until the end of days. This came at an awful cost for the Wind Mage, for every strike from the Four Sword robbed him of what he once was; casting aside his memories, his mind and even his soul as the Hero sliced and cut and tore through demon flesh. The Light Arrows too inflicted great pain of the being, progressively getting worse as he subcummed to corruption and mutation. Soon the Minish was gone entirely, replaced only by a primal hunger and hatred. Vaati had achieved his goal in becoming a great sorcerer but _it_ had lost everything in the process.

After a long battle, the Hero was able to defeat the monster that was once a Minish and drive it from the land. In time it would be sealed in the Four Sword in a secret grove to the north of Hyrule Castle – but that is another story, for another Hero. This Link focused instead on restoring Princess Zelda, who used Ezlo's creation to restore Hyrule to a semblance of what it was prior to the Rampage of the Wind Mage (though the cap was destroyed in the process, possibly on purpose). The Four Sword was hidden away in a secret location where it could be retrieved when needed again. The Ancient Robot Scrapper visited it once, decided he disliked it's tone and never came again. King Daltus took up his throne again, though he would pass away a few years in the future. And Link bided goodbye to Ezlo, as the doorway between the Minish world and the Hylian world closed again.

They would never meet again.

* * *

 **And now we have quotes! These will added to** ** _most_** **of the previous chapters given time, beginning with the other Minish Cap parts.**

 **I freely admit that I have no idea what to do with the Oocca. Evolutions of the Loftwings, maybe...**

 **The 'Circus Island' is Fun Fun Island from Skyward Sword and the airship is Beedle's one from the same game.**

 **The 'Tower of Winds' is not officially names in game, but is here to draw a link to future events. This is the 'Sky Palace' that Vaati partially modelled his later one on.**

 **Hyrule has somewhat transitioned into Golden Goddess worship over Hylia, as mentioned previously.**

 **In game, the Roc's cape actually works by letting Link jump. This makes no sense outside of the game mechanics, so has been tweaked to an another idea that fit the area.**

 **For the whole idea behind Demon Lords, look at the Ancient Battle and the Hyrule Beastiry.**

 **In my mind the Light Arrows in the Minish Cap did have a bit of divine intervention behind them, as it is with other titles in the series.**

 **The comment on Skywards Strikes refers to how in titles other than Skyward Sword they are only accessable at full health.**

 **Vaati losing his memory is made clear in both the original game and Hyrule Historia, it's not my own invention.**


	23. The Rise and Fall of the Cobble Kingdom

**The Story of Hyrule**

 **The Rise and Fall of the Cobble Kingdom**

 _The Legend Unfolds…_

 _"In seas ruled by the Ocean King, the cultured Cobble Kingdom soared above all. It was more glorious than any other city until it vanished from history!"  
\- The Explorer's Compass_

 _"You see, for generations, our ancestors lived to serve the Ocean King. They defended the Ocean King in an age when great evil lurked in the sea. My people forged our own weapons and fought in epic battles."  
\- Zauz, a descendant of the Cobble Tribe_

 _"The Cobble Kingdom was great and noble, but the rot at it's heart was too great for any mortal to banish."  
\- Astrid, descendent of the Royal Family of the Cobble Tribe and Seer_

If there is one lesson to be learned from this story, it is that time judges all men unworthy in the end.

The Cobble Tribe (a subset of the quasi-Hylian race) were once one of the greatest powers in the endless sea that was the World of the Ocean King. Members of this tribe were born with a gift for construction and engineering that paralleled the Shiekah tribe in Hyrule, though on the whole they lacked the Hidden Tribe's ability with magic. Some individuals such as the Royal Line did have the ability of precognition however. Like the Shiekah, they were strongly devoted to their favoured deity and over the centuries would build many a weapon to guard him from harm or carry out his will. However, the Cobble were a far more imperialistic race than their Light World counterpart and desired control over as much territory as they could claim.

The original homeland of the tribe was a large island to the northeast of the Ocean King's favoured Temple; a harsh slab of rock known then as the Isle of Kayas. In the present day it is known as the Isle of Ruins, after the immense city of the Cobble that was built there and later abandoned. Much of this city lay underground, concealed behind powerful hydrological pumps and dams to prevent assault or invasion. Some parts lay above however, in the style of pyramids similar to those that have occasionally appeared in the Lanayru/Gerudo desert. Four of these pyramids existed on the Isle of Ruins, with the largest being inhabited by the Royal Family that ruled the tribe until its collapse.

The origins of this family are shrouded in the mists of time. Legend tells that the first King of the Cobble (Mutoh I) began his life as a fisherman, who in his twenty-seventh year was caught in one of the great hurricanes that occasionally swept across the ocean. He was carried far in the eye of the storm, eventually running aground on a 'Hokonilt Island' - a mysterious place that has _probably_ never been travelled to by anyone since. I say 'probably', because certain details about the island bear a similarity to the 'Dream Island' travelled to by the Hero of Light and Dark: an egg rested on the highest peaks on both islands, both reflected certain aspects of the material world and both are the only known places where creatures such as 'Kirbies' and 'Goombas' were encountered.

If 'Hokonilt' and 'Koholint' were the same sort of island - created by a sleeping Wind Fish - then the question of how exactly Mutoh managed to escape from the island must be asked? The most likely answer is that he woke the sleeping quasi-deity, but if so how did he manage that? The Hero of Light and Dark was forced to delve into the darkest depths of the island in search of a way out; did Mutoh do the same?

We simply do not know. In the years to come, the founder of the Royal Family would tell many stories of how he escaped from his odyssey. These tales are notoriously outlandish and so unlikely to bear any actual truth that I will not bother to repeat them here. All that matters is that Mutoh was gone from his home for a period of three years and three months; and that he returned with a mysterious tool discovered on his travels – _a Phantom Hourglass._ Those of you familiar with the legends of the Hero will recognise that name from a later era; but this is not the same artefact as the one used by the Hero of Winds. It had similar origins at the hands of a deity (in the case, the presumed Wind Fish, rather than Oshus the Ocean King), but according to the chronicles was somewhat weaker in its power. Like the later artefact it could repel curses for a period and with the aid of one of the 'Three Spirits' (the foremost servants of the Ocean King) it could even halt the flow of time entirely – an extremely powerful piece of magic that even artefacts such as the Sheikah Slate and the Ocarina of Time cannot truly replicate.

At it happens however, Mutoh never had access to either of these powers. It was the tale of his adventure and the sight of the artefact that convinced his fellow Cobble Tribe members to elect him as chief over them. His actions in this position are not particularly notable, though he did start the colonisation of the second Cobble Island – known in the present day as the Isle of the Dead. He was well loved by his subjects however, who after his retirement proceeded to elect his son – Mutoh II – as his replacement. Mutoh II was a much cleverer man than his father, with a grasp of construction that was exceptional even for his race. Legend tells that he created his first engine at the age of 7, powered by coal gathered from underground on both Kayas and the Isle of Ember to the southwest. At the age of 14, he is said to have created a floating bridge between the two Cobble Islands; though how exactly this worked is unknown and no trace of it has ever been found.

Even the missing bridge pales in comparison to his most famous creation; however, to discuss that we must first discuss the wider situation in this corner of the sea. Eastwards of the Cobble Kingdom, the sea was notoriously rough and dangerous to travel in. Nonetheless, sentient life existed here in the form of the quasi-Gerudo race; who were identical to their Light World counterparts and practised a similar culture, though the records indicate that they did not have the same reproduction issues. The quasi-Gerudo lived upon a sandy island known as Kyofu (or the Isle of Dread) and for centuries had sustained their meagre existence through fishing. When the sea begun to run dry however, they were forced to travel further and further out in search of food and that eventually brought them into contact with the other races of the World of the Ocean King. Both the Gerudo and Cobble were very proud peoples, who highly valued martial might and the land they called their own. Conflict was inevitable.

For most of the war, the quasi-Gerudo held the advantage. The Cobble might have been more advanced technologically, but they were generally worse fighters due to a lack of competitors and had none of the stamina Gerudo must have to pass the trials of adulthood. Their opponents were also masters of guerrilla tactics after previous wars they had fought. But Mutoh II had a plan. Ever since he was a boy, he had been fascinated by the tales told by the Ocean King of the early Light World; in particular those told of the Ancient Robots and the ancient Sheikah. The young chief had no skill in magic whatsoever, but was convinced that he could replicate the ancient constructs of both even without them. He had been working on this plan since his childhood, but was hastened by the arrival of the quasi-Gerudo into finishing the first of his creations – a gigantic stone titan named Eox.

Against the titan, the quasi-Gerudo had no way of resisting – which they realised to their horror when the construct waded into the sea to crush a raiding party before they even made landfall. Arrows, spears and swords alike were useless when attacking solid stone and while bombs might have worked, they were not widely known to exist at the time. With Eox on their side, the Cobble were able to exert themselves once more – content that the Gerudo could do little but starve and beat uselessly on the titan's rocky armour. Simply put, the Gerudo could no longer attack them at home; but they could attack the Gerudo whenever they wished.

It still took another generation for the war to truly end however. Mutoh the Third had inherited his father's title, though many now referred to him as king in opposition to the Gerudo Monarch of this period (King Kogakai). Among the three 'first kings', he was perhaps the most highly regarded – for while he did not have his father's ability with construction or his grandfather's charisma, he was an excellent administrator and general. It was under his command that the Cobble turned from a tribe into a true Kingdom and under him that their militia became a true army. Unlike his ancestors he had been born with the gift of precognition, which proved useful in both his military career and political careers. While this ability was not infallible, he would often see attacks coming and so could move to counter them with minimal casualties and dishonour brought upon his name.

In the twelfth year of his reign, Mutoh III finally brought the war to an end by conquering Kyofu and destroying the quasi-Gerudo race as a faction. His gift had told him to attack just as the sun was rising, for the port on the Isle of Dread lay to the east and so would be blinded during a morning invasion. The king had also ordered the construction of several floating constructs, which would buy the Cobble Kingdom enough time to land their troops even if the wooden 'echoes' of Eox were not nearly as strong as his father's creation (who being stone could obviously not float and was too heavy to carry by ship).

The battle was a roaring success, only three hours being required for the genius plan of Mutoh to succeed in capturing the island. Most of the quasi-Gerudo Royal Family died in the midst of the battle, though King Kogakai himself was taken back to Kayas for execution. The rest of the population were killed, imprisoned or absorbed into the Cobble population as second-class citizens (at first, since the gradual mix in genetics eventually eroded any true differences). Many of the Cobble would bear some Gerudo ancestry from this point onwards, with red hair becoming increasingly common.

Despite the absorption of the remaining quasi-Gerudo people, relatively few elements of their culture were taken up by the Cobble (probably due to the manner in which they were absorbed). Certain words in their language were absorbed into the Cobble Tongue, as were a few scattered changes such as an adaption of the Gerudo ship design into the Kayas Navy. The greatest change to the Kingdom did not derive from their subjects however, but from the war itself. The citizens from the lowest beggar to the king himself had tasted conquest and found they liked it.

Therefore it was only three years after the end of this war that the Cobble Kingdom found themselves at war again, only this time to the northwest where Bannan Island was taken from its original inhabitants (who are unknown) and absorbed into the kingdom. Maze Island and the Isle of Remlits followed suit, though they were both uninhabited except by wildlife and Gossip Stones. This was the way the Kingdom acted for the next few centuries, slowly expanding and conquering under a succession of Kings – all of whom retained the name Mutoh in honour of their ancestors. I have laid out a few facts about them below, for those who are interested:

Mutoh IV: Known as 'the Sailor'. The greatest traveller of the kings, who explored places as far away as Sankai Island in the northeast and the Isle of Peaks in the South.

Mutoh V: A relatively peaceful king, who rebuilt the great temple city of the Cobble on Kayas.

Mutoh VI: Known as 'the Hero'. A man of immense strength and stamina, who assisted the Ocean King in repelling the attacks of an unknown demon (possibly Bellum). The first king to be accompanied by the Spirit Ciela.

Mutoh VII: Known to have conquered Harrow Island and the Isle of Frost after a long war with the Yook race and the submission of the Anouki Tribe.

Mutoh VIII: Relatively little is known, sadly.

Mutoh IX: Known as 'the Breaker'. Conquered Mercay Island, Cannon Island and the Isle of Ember after a brutal conflict.

Mutoh X: Known as 'the Butcher'. Caused the 'Great Burning', whose remnants can still be seen around Forsaken Island.

Mutoh XI: Completely unknown, possibly erased from history by his successor.

Mutoh XII: Known as 'the Good'. Reformed his civilisation somewhat and constructed the Temple of Courage on Molida Island.

Mutoh XIII: Known to have been obsessed with immortality and the power of the gods.

Mutoh XIV: Completely unknown, erased from history by his successor for his dark acts.

As the reader can most likely infer, the line of Mutoh proved themselves to be as easily corruptible as all men in their later generations. Aside from the twelfth, every king since the sixth was more akin to a tyrant than a noble monarch. But they were not alone in their fall to sin; the entire kingdom followed them into the abyss convinced of their righteousness through the presence of the Spirit Ciela and the Phantom Hourglass. The Spirit of Time and Courage did little to dissuade them from this view, though one should note that Spirit Island and Frog/Uncharted Island were never discovered by the Cobble peoples; perhaps because she feared the possibility of them gaining control over her brethren spirits.

She did however allow the Kings access to her divine powers over time, which turned the Phantom Hourglass from a pretty bauble into a deadly tool. Her power over time could not be combatted by mortal means, which turned any battle for the Cobble Kingdom into a one-sided slaughter as long as the king was present. The 'Great Burning' is proof enough of this, for on that invasion of Forsaken Island the entire native navy was frozen in time while the Cobble Army set light to their ships. The fallen kingdom referred to it as a great victory; the rest of the world named it a massacre and Mutoh X a butcher. They did this quietly however, for none wished to bring the wrath of the Royal Family down upon them.

How then did the kingdom fall?

The answer lies with the story of the last king of the Cobble, Mutoh XV. He was a pious man above all else, born during the reign of his grandfather and raised during the dark reign of his father. Alone of his people, Mutoh the Last understood what they had become and sort to bring them back into the light of the Ocean King. He much admired his great-grandfather (Mutoh XII 'the Good') and how he had somewhat reformed his savage nation and attempted to follow in his footsteps by travelling as a pilgrim to first the Temple of Courage and later the ancient Temple of the Ocean King. At each of these holy places, he went forth alone to seek wisdom and ordered his guards to remain behind.

At the latter he returned crying and bore a ship back to Kayas without a word.

Three years later, a great storm hit the Isle of Ruins and the Isle of the Dead; shaking the city both above and below ground to its core. Various buildings were flooded with seawater, while others collapsed into the ocean entirely. But the temple-pyramid of Mutoh was untouched by the storm and the rain. Inside the king dwelt in council with his most loyal knights for several hours, until finally he banished them and retreated to his chambers with an old unnamed healer.

 _Three days later,_ when the guards finally broke into that room they would only discover Mutoh the Last's corpse; struck down on the floor with his own blade buried deep within his chest. The Phantom Hourglass of legend was itself found smashed a few feet away, with all the 'Sand of Hours' mysteriously vanished. The Old Healer was also nowhere to be seen, as was Ciela. And so the guards of the last Cobble King were left to wonder about what happened and who would now inherit the throne since Mutoh the Last was childless.

The king was buried on Kayas within his temple-pyramid, now his tomb. His most loyal knights entombed themselves as well, within smaller pyramids on both the Isle of Ruins and the Isle of the Dead. A mere five years after this a series of cataclysms destroyed the now leaderless civilisation, splitting into separate islands that slowly forgot their shared history. The north-eastern sea (as it is now known) was by far the hardest hit by these events, with only a few survivors escaping the now deserted islands. Over the following centuries, the societies of the ocean slowly rebuilt – but as peaceful and _humble_ civilisations.

 _The Legend Unfolds…_

* * *

 **This chapter inspired by the Fall of Numenor!**

 **On names: 'Hokonilt' is naturally an anagram for Koholint Island, due to them originating from identical sources. The name Mutoh is taken directly from Phantom Hourglass, but originated as the name for the head carpenter in Ocarina of Time. 'Kayas' is the word used in the French Translation for the Cobble, being a pun on the word 'rubble'. 'Kyofu' literally just means dread in Japanese. 'Kogakai' is a bastardisation of the Japanese phrase 'Kōtaku ga nai', meaning 'lacking luster'. 'Sankai' (from the map) is a bastardisation for the Japanese word for triangle, 'Sankakkei'.**

 **I am treating the World of the Ocean King as an entirely different dimension to Hyrule/the Light World since the ending of Phantom Hourglass makes this implication. Whether or not the Golden Goddesses were involved here is unknown, though I have sided against that possibility in favour of the Ocean King exclusively. Like with most places in the Zelda cosmology however, certain elements of this world parallel those of the main universe – which is why I actually brought in the Gerudo, though also as a nod to their role in Majora's Mask as pirates. It also links into how Zauz (a Cobble Descendent) has red hair, Ganondorf doppelganger theories aside.**

 **Does the WOTOK have its own Triforce? It seems quite plausible considering the existence of Lorule's Triforce, but if so where was it in Phantom Hourglass?**

 **The Cobble Kingdom in canon stretched at least as far as the Isle of Ember, which is nearly on the other side of the game world. With that in mind, I decided that they had to become some sort of conquerers or else things wouldn't make sense.**

 **Mutoh's Temple, the Temple of Courage and the Temple of the Ocean King are all dungeons in Phantom Hourglass. Eox is the boss of the former.**

 **The Phantom Hourglass in…phantom hourglass was created by Oshus shortly prior to the events of the game. Therefore it couldn't play a role personally in this chapter, but I still wanted to feature it somehow. Hence, the 'original' hourglass.**

 **The identity of the 'Old Healer' should be pretty obvious.**


End file.
